No.182 November 2018

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THE RED HACKLE

The Chronicle of The Black Wa tch (Royal Highland Regiment), its successor The Black Wa tch, 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, The Affiliated Regiments and The Black Wa tch Association

The Royal Colonel, His Royal Highness The Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay visited Fort George on Friday 28 September to present medals to members of the Battalion who had deployed to Iraq. He is seen chatting to the Battalion Second-in-Command, Major Nick Colquhoun. CSMCoupar of CCompany looks on.

NOVEMBER 2018 THE RED HACKLE 1 We provide a lifetime of support to soldiers, veterans and their immediate families.

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Left to right: Siobhan Weller, Les Fryatt, Kenneth Kwogyenga – Charity benefi c iaries

2 THE RED HACKLE NOVEMBER 2018 Contents THE Editorial ...... 3 RED HACKLE Regimental News ...... 4 The Black Watch Museum and Friends of The Black Watch...... 12 Book Reviews ...... 16 Correspondence ...... 18 Obituaries ...... 19 Articles ...... 27 The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland ...... 35 51st Highland, 7th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland...... 48 HMS Montrose...... 53 The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada ...... 54 Black Watch Battalion Army Cadet Force ...... 56 Association News ...... 58 Editorial The Chronicle of This edition of the RedHackle magazine has an interesting number of articles some of which The Black Watch focus on the 100th anniversary of events that occurred in 1918; the second part of “Perthshire to (Royal Highland Regiment) Picardy” follows the 6th (Perthshire) Battalion through to the end of the Great Warand in an its successor article called “A Grave Apart”, the family of 2Lt David Burns who was killed on 30 September The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion 1918 with the 8th Battalion, explains why he was not buried in aWar Graves Commission cem- The Royal Regiment of Scotland etery. Iain Adams –Cairns has brought us into the late 20th and early 21st Centuries as he has researched Black Watch men who have been trained as pilots and lastly Major Jamie Campbell The Affiliated Regiments has written of his experiences after he left the Army but found himself in Vietnam, as the and Americans withdrew hastily from avery messy war. The Black Watch Association The Great Warhas dominated the events that the Association has taken part in; Memorial Services at Balhousie Castle focussed on the start of the last great German offensive of March 1918, the Lysoffensive of April 1918 and the Battle of Ta rdenois in July 1918. John Glen of the November 2018 Angus Branch represented the Regiment at Arras and Lieutenant Colonel Mike Smith repre- No.182 sented the Regiment at the Menin Gate ceremony commemorating the 90th anniversary of the great pilgrimage when over 11,000 veterans paraded in Ypres. Lastly, the Perth Branch of the Association held asuccessful Centenary Croix de Guerre Dinner in Perth. The Museum has had abusy summer and is currently hosting the “There But Not There” exhi- Published for The Black Watch bition. In addition the Association has funded aproject to scope the efficient cataloguing of the artefacts held by the museum so that it can meet the exacting standards of modern management. Lastly, The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland returned from asuc- cessful tour training Iraqi forces at Al Assad airbase. They then carried out anumber of novel marches in the old Black Watch recruiting area; Forfar, Dunfermline and Perth all enjoyed aparade that encompassed the traditional “Colours Flying and Bayonets Fixed” as well as FOXHOUND vehicles and patrolling soldiers showing off modern infantry equipment. The major event for next year is the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the formation of The Black Watch Association. This will take the form of aKirk service and lunch which will be followed by the Reunion and will take place on Saturday 15 June 2019. METHOD PUBLISHING 64 Main Street, Golspie, Sutherland, Scotland KW10 6TG Telephone (01408) 633871 to whom all enquiries regarding advertisingshould be addressed. The opinions expressed in the articles of the magazine arethose of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the Editorial Matter and Illustrations policy and views, official or otherwise, of the Regimental Association or the MOD. This publication contains official ©Crown Copyright information. It should be treated with discretion by the recipient. “The RedHackle”ispublished everysix months in Mayand November.Contributions large and small will always be welcome. They should be typewritten in double spacing on one side of the paper only.Photographs, cartoons and Design and Typography sketches of Regimental interest arealso welcome and will be returned if requested. ©Method Publishing 2018 All material for inclusion in the various issues must reach the Editor not later than 1April and 1October respectively. From 1January2013, bulk orders aresupplied at arate of £7 per copy.Individual copies aresent out to permanent subscribers, both in the UK and abroad, at asubscription rate of £14 annually for UK subscribers, £30 annually to Europe and £30 annually Worldwide by airmail. AGift Aid Scheme is available for individual subscribers who aresubject to UK tax. The magazine fund benefits from tax reclaimed in this way.All subscriptions should be sent to the Editor,The RedHackle Magazine, Balhousie Castle, HayStreet, PerthPH1 5HR, and those interested in the Gift Aid Scheme, will on request be provided with the correct forms for completion.

NOVEMBER 2018 THE RED HACKLE 3 15 April Angus Branch AGMForfar April (Date TBC) London Branch AGMLondon 27 April Association Annual General Balhousie Meeting Castle 11 May Edinburgh &Lothians Branch Edinburgh Al Basrah Lunch 18 May Highland Branch Aberfeldy Dinner Fort George TBC (Date TBC) The Not Forgotten Association London Garden Party 10 June Officers’ and Ladies’ Lunch Caledonian Club, London 14 June Black Watch Association Muckhart All Ranks Golf Meeting Golf Club 15 June (am) 100th Anniversary of the Balhousie formation of The Black Watch Castle Regimental News Association and the final Service of commemoration to the dead of The Great War FORECAST OF EVENTS 2019 15 June (pm) Regimental Reunion Balhousie DATE EVENT LOCATION Castle 2019 June 9January Friends Lecture –Original Balhousie (Date TBC) Royal Hospital Chelsea Chelsea letters from the 1918 Armistice Castle Founders Day 12 January Edinburgh &Lothians Branch Edinburgh 3August Highland Branch, Inter Community RedHackle Night Branch Games Day Centre, 22 January Friends Lecture Balhousie Inverness How to trace asoldier Castle 15 September Fife Branch Alma Ladies Lunch Fife 26 January Angus Branch Burns Supper Forfar (TBC) 1February Dundee Branch RedHackle Dinner Black Watch 22 September Angus Branch Standard Club, Dundee Rededication Forfar 2February Perth Branch Burns Supper Perth 5October Perth Branch Croix de Guerre Perth 6February Friends Lecture –The First Balhousie Dinner Battle of the Atlantic Castle 23 February Dundee Branch AGMDundee 19 October Angus Branch El Alamein Dinner Forfar 1March Association Trustees and Perth 25 October Association Trustees and Perth Executive Committee Meeting Executive Committee Meeting 14 March Friends Lecture –The Paris Balhousie 25 October Officers’ Gathering Dinner Perth Peace Conference and the making Castle 7November Field of Remembrance, Westminster London of aNew World Order 8November Balhousie Castle Perth 17 March Perth Branch AGMPerth Remembrance Service 22 March 10 November Cenotaph Remembrance Parade London (TBC) Fife Branch Rhine Crossing Dinner TBC 21 November London Branch Dinner London

Agathering of Black Watch Commanding Officers at Edinburgh Castle.

4 THE RED HACKLE NOVEMBER 2018 GATHERING OF BLACK WATCH Lieutenant Colonel Nick Ord COMMANDING OFFICERS Lieutenant Colonel RobSandford History does not relate whether it has ever happened before, but it Lieutenant Colonel Matt Sheldrick will certainly never happen again. On the evening of Saturday 6th Lieutenant Colonel Neil To mlin October 2018, nine officers who had started their careers in The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) and their wives, gathered CENTENARYYEAR in the Governor’s Quarter in Edinburgh Castle, prior to having Born on 8th October 1918, Ex Sergeant Geordie Reid was already dinner in the Laich Hall, in the Royal Apartments in the Castle. They atrained motor mechanic when he was called-up to serve in The were joined by the Governor, Major General Mike Riddell-Webster, Black Watch at the beginning of the Second World Warin1939. He Brigadier Robin Lindsay, Commander 51 Highland Brigade, and by carried out his basic training at Queens’ Barracks in Perth and was the Reverend Neil Gardner, who was the Padre of the 1st Battalion in then posted to the 10th Battalion of the Regiment which had just Hong Kong in 1993-94. been formed in 1940 and which became aTraining Battalion, based It is possible that, in the days when The Black Watch was in the UK, training men as reinforcements for other Regular and amulti battalion Regiment, that there was such agathering. Te rritorial battalions overseas. To day, the very fact that it was possible is as the result of the As aqualified mechanic Geordie was initially posted to the formation of the Royal Regiment of Scotland and the posting Battalion’s MT Platoon where he was quickly promoted to respon- policy that ensures that only our very best officers get selected sible positions including that of driver to the Commanding Officer, for command. Combine that with aperiod where we were Lt Col Keith Purvis-Russell-Montgomery, OBE of Kinross. Geordie lucky enough to recruit an extraordinary stream of talent and remembers driving “Monty” all over Scotland and England; the today there are nine officers in command. Anumber of them Battalion served initially as the Orkney and Shetland Defence Force, commented that the last time that they had been gathered before being posted to training duties in Montrose, Brechin, Thurso together was in the days before deploying to Iraq in 2003; truly and Barrow-in-Furness. areassembly of the Officers’ Mess in Fallingbostel. Geordie reached the rank of Sergeant before he was demobbed in Stewarton in Ayrshire in 1946. The dinner commenced with agrace by the Reverend Gardner, which He worked initially at his father’s farm, Middle Gourdie, near went as follows: Spittalfield before joining Macdonalds, an agricultural transport firm, Lord as we gather now to dine, where he drove afloat all over Scotland. He also worked on the Bless to us our food and wine, Dunkeld Park Farm herding Aberdeen Angus cattle before finally Still wider send your blessing down joined the Ta rmac Company, working on improvements to the A9 On all the Forces of the Crown: Road, before he retired in 1980. But most of all if it’s no hassle Not for him the quiet life however, for Geordie has been an Elder at We offer aplea from the heart of the Castle, the Church of Scotland’s Dunkeld Cathedral for 57 years and last year That with extra special blessing you’ll tackle was presented with aspecial Certificate of Continuous Service to the Church, by the Moderator of the Church of Scotland, The Rt RevDr All those who wear or once wore the red hackle. Russell Barr. Geordie is still very much bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. He still The officers present were: drives his car safely around his home village in Murthly, where Lieutenant Colonel Campbell Close he still lives on his own and where he is avery well-kent old Lieutenant Colonel Will Colquhoun character. Lieutenant Colonel Alex Cooper He must be one of The Black Watch’s oldest soldiers. Lieutenant Colonel RobHedderwick The Association arranged abirthday party for Geordie on Lieutenant Colonel Julian McElhinney Wednesday 10 October 2018.

The Association arranged abirthday party for Geordie Reid on Wednesday 10 October 2018. He is seen with Roddy Riddell, Colin Innes and Jamie Montgomery (the grandson of Geordie’s one time Commanding Officer).

NOVEMBER 2018 THE RED HACKLE 5 CONGRATULATIONS –HONOURS AND AWARDS To Brigadier MSJameson CBE on the award of the KCVO in The Queen’s Birthday Honours List. He is currently President of The Black Watch Association. RE-UNION and AGM

Malcolm Dunn, Fraser Brown and Cuddles Adams at the AGM.

Lt Col Jim Keating and Brig Duncan Cameron catching up before the AGM.

The Re-Union was held in Perth on Saturday 16th June and Mrs Anne Amos, Mrs Ann McMahon and Mrs Winnie Kennedy helped sell raffle tickets from the safety of the Waterloo Room. The rain was torrential and the march from Rose Terrace to Balhousie Castle was cancelled for the first time in many years.

BLUE BOOK AMENDMENT Owners of the Blue Book (Officers of The Black Watch 1725-1986) will wish to note that on page 13, the fourth Colonel of the Regiment should be Sir Hector Munro of Novar, Bt, KB, not Munro of Foulis. Lunch after the AGM was held in the Drill Hall at Queen’s Barracks; Maj Peter Burnett, Mr Peter Young and Maj Jamie Erskine deep in conversatio.

Private Gary McKay plays his pipes beside “Poppy”aneighteen foot high bronze statue of ahorse that was unveiled in Inverness. “Poppy”isatribute to the millions of horses, mules and donkeys killed during the First World Maj John Monteith, Mr Billy Whytock, Mr Willie Barr,the Chairman and War. The statue was moved to Ascot and was officially unveiled in June 2018 Maj Brian Cooper all attended the meeting. (courtesy of Gary Anthony).

6 THE RED HACKLE NOVEMBER 2018 NATIONAL MEMORIAL ARBORETUM WOUNDED WARRIOR PROJECT Ashort Service was held on 9August 2018 at the National Arboretum Kenny Grant has recently returned from taking part in the British to dedicate aRoyal Regiment of Scotland (SCOTS) memorial stone. Limbless Veterans Te am’s trip to New York as guests of the Wounded The descriptor makes reference to the proud heritage that the new Warrior Project and Soldier Ride. Regiment carries forward and the golden thread that links the new The event entailed the six British Limbless Veterans participating Regiment to its antecedent regiments. The cap badges of the anteced- in cycling seventy miles through the city, including the crossing of the ent regiments are engraved on the base of the memorial. Mr Norman Brooklyn Bridge and also visiting the site of the Tw in To wers and a Rogerson attended the Service and represented The Black Watch. tour of the 9/11 Museum. Swimming also took up part of the group’s weeklong visit and meeting up with members of The American Legion and the fifty members of the Wounded Warrior project from the US. Kenny who served twenty two years in The Black Watch and was an Army Athlete throughout the 1960s and 1970s held the Combined Services ten kilometre record and successfully competed in long distance events as far afield as Malta, West Germany, Hong Kong, Belize and the UK. Kenny lost alimb through circulatory problems two years ago and joined BLESMA shortly after where he has been an active member and participant. He was very honoured to take part in this project where he and the other British veterans were able to meet up with their counterparts from the US.

Mr Norman Rogerson (third from left) represented The Black Watch Association at the dedication service at the National Memorial Arboretum.

EDITOR AND BATTALION SUB EDITOR The Editor of the magazine remains as Lieutenant Colonel Roddy Riddell and the Battalion Sub Editor is Captain James Farrall. CHRISTMAS CARD 2018 The Regimental Christmas card for 2018 is entitled “Departure of the Kenny Grant took part in the British Limbless Veterans Team trip to New York. Highland Brigade” and shows asoldier of the 42nd Royal Highland Regiment of Foot bidding farewell to his family as the Brigade depart for the Crimea. It AREGIMENTAL CURIOSITY is aprint from the Regimental collection. The original was painted by Thomas Volume 2ofthe Officers of The Black Watch includes the following Duncan R.S.A., A.R.A. and was published by Alex Hill on 18 June 1855. entry: “BRETT.Hon, M.V.B., O.B.E., M.V.O. (T.F.); 6th Perthshire Bn; Each card will cost 72p Capt, 8/2/11; A.P.M in Paris during 1914-18 War.” Maurice Vyber Baliol Brett (1882 –1934) was the second son of Reginald Brett, 2nd Viscount Esher. In 1911 he married Zena Dare (born Florence Hariette Zena Dones) (1887 –1975). She was asinger and actress best known for appearing in Edwardian musical comedy. She retired from the stage after the wedding and three years later, on the outbreak of war in 1914 she nursed the wounded for three years in Mrs Vanderbilt’s American Hospital in France. Meanwhile her husband Maurice, officially appoint- ed Assistant Provost Marshal in Paris and living in his father’s flat there, was in fact said to have run asmall spy ring, known as the Intelligence Anglaise, supplying information to his father in the WarOffice. In 1926 Zena returned to the stage. Her final role was as Henry Higgins’ mother in the original London production of My Fair Lady which ran from 1958 to 1964, Zena being the only one of the lead per- formers to stay for the whole run. She died aged 88 in 1975. INVITATION TO APARTY By Jim Keating Everybody loves agood party and on Tu esday 22nd May, together with some 6,500 other guests, agood party is exactly what five members of the Black Watch Association got. General James Cowan, Colonel Ian Critchley, Lieutenant Colonel Col Jim Keating, Pipe Major Chic Mackie and Mr John Bowles all received invitations to HRH The Prince of Wales’s 70th Birthday Patronage Celebration in the gardens of Buckingham Palace. It was a truly beautiful day; the sun was shining and although we were atad early for HRH’s actual birthday (he will not be 70 until the 14th November 2018), we were pleased to be in the Palace grounds in the warmth of early summer, rather than the autumn chill of mid November. If you care to research the large amount of detail to be found on the Internet about Prince Charles, you will learn that he is the Royal Patron of countless charities and the arts, environmental groups, military organisations and many, many more from throughout the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth. First and foremost though is the Prince’s Trust which he founded in 1976. So it is little wonder Christmas Card 2018. that we were rubbing shoulders with representatives from this hugely

NOVEMBER 2018 THE RED HACKLE 7 diverse range of organisations filling the Palace gardens that day. There of former officers and other ranks lost their battle to maintain the regi- were of course representatives from The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion ment’s separate identity. The Royal Regiment of Scotland, The Black Watch (Royal Highland To day those serving with the Black Watch might well be entitled to Regiment) of Canada and other military groups of all three Services wear its famous red hackle in their tam o’shanters, but they are, to all from home and abroad. We were not short of folk to chat to, reminisce intents and purposes, interchangeable with soldiers in the other bat- with and reflect on shared experiences. talions of the now enlarged regiment, known simply as the SCOTS in Ministry of Defence shorthand. However, the intense pride retained by most who served, and who may still serve, with the “Gallant Forty Twa” (The Black Watch was formerly the 42nd Regiment of Foot) lives on in heavyweight form with the publication of the second volume of the regiment’s history –ahefty 828 page book by Victoria Schofield detailing its history from 1899 to that fateful day 12 years ago when it lost its independence. An earlier volume, also by Ms Schofield, traced its story from its inception in 1739 as six independent companies raised to “watch” –police –the Highlands, wearing their dark, almost black, tartan kilts. And it was this pride that, as far as this military buff is concerned, always made the Black Watch that most “Marmite” of Scottish regiments; it was either loved or revered, by those who served or were associated with it, or intensely disliked by those with different loyal- ties. Its alternative title -“The Royal Highland Regiment” and the fact that it always counted senior members of the Royal family among its Colonels-in-Chief helped foster the “wha’s like us” attitude of Black Watch soldiers. King George Vand then Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother were recent holders of the rank and led to Ms Schofield conceding at the Edinburgh International Book Festival yesterday: “Yes, there was a touch of jealousy (among other Scottish soldiers) about the Black Watch. They always thought very highly of themselves. The regiment considered itself to be very prestigious”. And at least in the experience of this observer, there is no doubt that its officers and men –especially the former –thought themselves acut Chic Mackie, John Bowles, Colonel Ian Critchley,Major General James above their colleagues in other units. Cowan and Lieutenant Colonel Jim Keating all attended the Royal Patron’s This envy may well have been fuelled, in part at least, by the sus- Garden Party in May 2018. picion that the Queen Mother, who through her Angus ancestry and the fact that her elder brother, Fergus, had been killed during the To make the party go with aswing we were entertained by aGuards’ First World Warwhile serving with the regiment, had helped it escape Band and refreshed with iced drinks and all the usual tea party delica- all the amalgamations of Scottish regiments in the post-war years. cies, including strawberries and cream. It was ahot day so ice creams But said the author: “I have come across no evidence that the Queen were available (but no jelly!). Late in the afternoon the guests all Mother intervened in this way at all”. moved onto the Palace lawns to listen to an excellent speech given by Nevertheless, four years after the “Queen Mum” died in 2002, the HRH Prince Harry, who only three days before had married Megan Black Watch was rolled up into the Royal Regiment of Scotland; her Markle and, foregoing ahoneymoon, he and his new bride attended grandson, Prince Charles, is its current Royal Colonel. the party as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. This is very much abook for the enthusiast and the Black Watch Prince Harry’s speech highlighted his father’s achievements, with enthusiast at that, but it does repay study by the casual reader –chart- particular emphasis on youth and the Prince’s Tr ust and touched upon ing as it does the incredible service and the appalling sacrifices of the his work and connections with the countless other organisations he men of this regiment down the years; nearly 9,000 deaths from this is involved with. The speech was delivered faultlessly, although at regiment alone in the First World War. one point we all thought that he had lost his place, as there was apause The battle to save the famous Highland Regiments as independent and great rustling of his notes followed by –with considerable empha- units was lost in 2006 to the extent that their names are fast being sis on the B–“that bee got me!” This of course caused considerable forgotten. If this book helps preserve one of those names, it will have amusement for the guests but perhaps not the speaker, although he done Scotland aservice. passed it off well. Prince Charles has been the Duke of Cornwall and Duke of Rothesay since 1952 and it is the latter title that resonates most with the Black Watch Association, as the toast to our Royal Patron at Association Dinners is to ‘The Duke of Rothesay’. So, on behalf of the Black Watch Association guests who attended his 70th Birthday Patronage Party, we say thank you for amost enjoyable afternoon and take great pleasure in wishing HRH The Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay avery happy 70th birthday. WHY PRIDE IN THE ‘GALLANT FORTY TWA’ WILL LIVE ON Editor’s Note: On 16 August 2018 Victoria Schofield was interviewed at the Edinburgh Book Festival. One member of the audience was Alan Cochrane who writes for the Daily Te legraph. He has kindly let me reproduce his column, written on the following day. The second volume of the history of the Black Watch is atribute to its soldiers’ service –and sacrifices. It is still –just about –Scotland’s most famous military name and until 2006 it was arguably the country’s best-known regiment. That was On 18 April 2018 Colonel David Arbuthnott read the narrative at the service the year that the Black Watch wasn’t so much abolished –oratleast to commemorate the Black Watch men who lost their lives at the start of the that’s the official version –but was instead wrapped up into the Royal Lysoffensive. His father was serving with the 1st Battalion 100 years ago and Regiment of Scotland as its 3rd Battalion, when the “old and the bold” was wounded and captured during the German attack.

8 THE RED HACKLE NOVEMBER 2018 Captain Paddy Nicoll reads the narrative about the Battle of Tardenois at the service to commemorate the men of the 6th and 7th Battalions The Black Watch, who died during the Battle of Tardenois and the Second Battle of the Captain Alan McEwen attended the Perth City Armed Forces Day flag raising Marne. The Service was held on the 30th of July 2018. The Battle of Tardenois parade at Balhousie Castle on 25 June 2018. led to the award of the Croix de Guerre to the 6th (Perthshire) Battalion. Captain Nicoll’s grandfather was asubaltern during the battle and was MONTE SCALARI awarded aCroix de Guerre with Silver Star in January 1919. Anyone travelling south of Florence may wish to visit the memorial erected to commemorate the deeds of the 6th Battalion fighting in Italy and especially the Battle of Monte Scalari. The memorial is west of Figline ValD’Arno, in the direction of Greve in Chianti. The actual locality is called Saint’ Andrea in Campiglia and the post code is 50063 Figline ValD’Arno. The memorial is on the right hand side about two kilometres outside Figline.

Branch Standard Bearers at the Battle of Tardenois Service of Commemoration at Balhousie Castle. The memorial to the 6th Battalion The Black Watch at Saint’Andrea in Campiglia.

NOVEMBER 2018 THE RED HACKLE 9 THE CROIX DE GUERRE –ANEW PIPE TUNE Centenary Croix de Guerre Dinner in Perth. In the audience was the In 2014 the Trustees of The Black Watch Association decided that each French Consul General in Scotland, Emmanuel Cocher and Brigadier Branch of the Association should hold asocial event to commemorate General Herve Bizeul, Deputy Commander of the 1st (UK) Division. one of the major battles of the Great War. As 2018 loomed, the Perth The French Croix de Guerre (literally the Cross of War) was estab- Branch began to focus on the Battle of Ta rdenois which was abattle lished on 8April 1915 by the French Government, to recognise acts of fought by the 6th (Perthshire) Battalion in July 1918 and which led to bravery by individuals and units in the face of the enemy, specifically the award of the Croix de Guerre. mentioned in despatches. The different classes of Despatch may be The President of the Perth Branch asked Pipe Major Alistair Duthie recognised by the emblem on the ribbon. ForanArmy Despatch this to compose atune to commemorate this award and on the evening of was the “Palme en Bronze”. Tw elve units of the British Army received Saturday 29 September 2018, Pipe Major Duthie, carrying the ninety this award, of which two were Scottish, the 6th Black Watch and the eight year old pipe banner of the 6th Battalion, played the tune at the 12th Argylls.

Croix de Guerre Pipe Tune.

10 THE RED HACKLE NOVEMBER 2018 The Croix de Guerre was awarded to the 6th (Perthshire) Battalion As stated, the scoring was good and normally, someone comes out of The Black Watch for the actions which took place between 20th and the pack with an outstanding round to claim the top prizes. This year 30th July 1918. we had several outstanding rounds with Allan Brannigan picking up the Attached to the French 5th Army as part of the 51st Highland Scratch prize for the second year in arow. Gordon (Killer) Kennedy Division, the 6th Battalion took part in the Second Battle of the Marne took the best Net prize, winning the Alan Mutch Memorial Cup, while in 1918, when the advance of the German Army towards Paris was the best Stableford prize went to Angus Watson. In the afternoon, we halted and turned into ahasty retreat. The splendid deeds of the 6th played a9hole team Te xas Scramble and the winning team was Gary Battalion under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Francis Rowland Liddell, John Husband, Michael Snape and Gordon Kennedy. There Ta rleton DSO, during the period 20 –30July 1918, culminated after were, of course, the usual novelty prizes thrown in for good measure, seven days of intense fighting, in the successful storming of awell -forti- with Steve Thomson proving to be the hardiest golfer of the day, playing fied and stubbornly defended wood. the most golf. During the battle the battalion was reduced to less than 140 all ranks Our grateful thanks go again to the Association Tr ustees who effec- and they suffered grievously. 26 officers were listed as killed, wounded tively underwrite the event with their pledge of ahealthy subsidy. or missing and 428 other ranks were listed as killed, wounded or posted This enables planning for the event to go ahead with confidence. as missing. This battle was known as the Battle of Ta rdenois and was Secondly, to our sponsors Sidey Ltd and RedHackle Security. Their awarded as aRegimental Battle Honour. generous support enables us to buy some excellent prizes, as well as The 6th Battalion were presented with the Croix de Guerre on 12 July keeping the costs down for the golfers and minimising the cost to 1919 in Paris when the Croix de Guerre was pinned to the Regimental the Regimental Association. Suffice to say we are extremely grateful Colour by General Berdoulat. to our sponsors for their continued support. Of course we would be Formany years the officers and men of the 6th Battalion proudly nowhere without the participation of the golfers. They travel from wore the ribbon of the Croix de Guerre on the sleeve of their far and wide, none more so than Billy Gibb who again travelled from Battle Dress jackets and as late as 1999 officers and men of the Dubai. It is always great to see the regulars turning up but it is even 3rd (Volunteer) Battalion The Black Watch wore the ribbon on the more encouraging to see some new faces each year and this year left shoulder of their Service Dress jackets and officers and SNCOs was no different. Sadly, we had no participation from the battalion, wore the fouragerre (a lanyard). mainly due to the deployment in Iraq, although we did have three serving men from the Reserve Forces. We hope that the battalion will be able to send astrong contingent for next year’s event. As I write these notes, we are hosting the RedHackle Cup at Burntisland Golf Club on Friday 5th October 2018. This is the second running of this competition which we hope will be an annual event. We have the promise of alarge group of battalion golfers turning up fresh from their golf tour in Spain. They will be keen to take off some of the prizes this year having left all of the winning in the inaugural event to the Association members. The Black Watch Association Golf Meeting is an important date in many calendars and anumber of Regimental golfers have already signed up for next year. While the golf was impressive in parts, it can- not compete with the level of banter and abuse flying around which is always the case when agang of old pals meet up. It really is just as it was when they were all serving together in the battalion and long may this continue. Next year’s event will take place again at Muckhart on 14th June 2019. This is an excellent day’s golf with full catering and can be enjoyed by Black Watch Association members and serving members of The Black Watch Battalion, 3SCOTS. Full details are contained at http://www.societygolfing.co.uk by going to ‘A ccess your Society area’ and entering the username ‘blackwatch’ and the password ‘fortytwa’. This Croix de Guerre pipe banner that was made for the 6th Battalion Anyone who is not already listed as amember on this site, but would The Black Watch was carried by Pipe Major Alistair Duthie during the like to play, or just to be added for future years should get in touch centenary dinner held in Perth. It shows the Croix de Guerre with “Palme en with Maj (Retd) Alex Stewart at [email protected]. bronze” and the pipe banner is on loan to 51st Highland, 7th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland.

BLACK WATCH ASSOCIATION CURLING The following matches are planned for the 2018/19 season; Thursday 1November 2018 vArgylls Perth Wednesday 9January 2019 vHighlanders Perth Thursday 28 February 2019 vLowlanders tbc Thursday 21 March 2019 vHighland and Lowland Brigade Bonspiel Perth In addition we must find the following curlers to represent the Highland and Lowland Brigades Curling Club; Thursday 14 February 2019 –2curlers vNew Club Thursday 14 March 2019 –3curlers vThe Royal Company of Archers BLACK WATCH ASSOCIATION GOLF MEETING By Major (Retd) Alex Stewart BEM The annual Black Watch Association Golf Meeting was held at Muckhart Golf Club this year on 15th June. This was another tremendous meeting played mostly in fine weather with some first class scoring. Muckhart Golf Club proved to be excellent hosts yet again and it was good to see that they have their three Winners at the All Ranks Golf Meeting are from left to right Major David nine hole courses fully open after almost ayear with one of the Bruce, Major Angus Watson, Alan “Snapper” Brannigan, Gordon “Killer” courses closed. Kennedy and Major Alex Stewart.

NOVEMBER 2018 THE RED HACKLE 11 The Black Watch Museum and Friends of The Black Watch Castle and Museum

MUSEUM NOTES To conclude the centenary programme The Black Watch Castle and Museum is hosting an art installation, ‘There But Not There’ from 11th August until 11th November 2018. This project will be linked to the ‘There But Not There’ national initiative to educate all generations about the sacrifice made by so many people during the First World War.

The 6’ sculpture in the grounds of Balhousie Castle (image by Gary Baker of GB Photography).

The thirteenth silhouette has been placed in the temporary exhibi- tion, also entitled “There But Not There”, in front of apanel on which is written all of the names of those Black Watch soldiers who lost their lives during the First World War. The exhibition also focuses on the stories of several other men who were killed in the war as well as the artefacts that their families preserved to remember them by.

The cover of the programme for the “There But Not There” exhibition.

The display features a6ft outdoor “Tommy” sculpture with thir- teen transparent silhouettes placed throughout the museum creating apoignant remembrance trail for visitors. Each silhouette commemo- rates and tells the story of asmall number of Black Watch soldiers who displayed courage and bravery during the First World War. This emo- tive experience includes an exhibition which shares artefacts that have been kept for years by soldiers’ families as away of remembering the fathers, sons, brothers, cousins and uncles who did not return from the Great War. The There But Not There project involves communities and herit- age organizations purchasing “Tommy” silhouette figures as ameans of remembering those who lost their lives during the First World War. The Museum has purchased thirteen silhouettes; twelve have been placed amongst the exhibits and each of them represents an individual officer or soldier who was killed serving in the Regiment during the war. Short biographies of each of these men have been written in a Asilhouette in the Great WarGallery that commemorates Captain Talbert booklet which visitors can use during their visit. Stevenson MC and bar (image by Gary Baker of GB Photography).

12 THE RED HACKLE NOVEMBER 2018 The exhibition will be on display until the 11th November 2018 and Formal Learning will be replaced by adisplay entitled “WeWill Remember Them”, So far this year, 606 pupils have visited the Museum or taken part in our which will focus on the Dunalastair Memorial Home and other contem- Outreach Programme. porary forms of remembrance. In May, we ran trials of aspecial Jacobite workshop which had been The Museum’s Guided To urs have been busy, especially over the put together for Moncreiff and Milesmark Primary Schools. During the summer months. This has continued even after the holidays due to our session, pupils looked at the tactics and weapons used during the 1745 current ‘It Is On’ offer, whereby visitors can enjoy aguided tour and Rising as well as the links between The Black Watch, the Highlands and afternoon tea for £12.00 per person. 350 of these were made available the Jacobites. Both schools were very positive about the workshop and so in early August and they quickly sold out. we are looking to formally make it part of the schools learning programme. The Museum’s replica First World WarTrench has continued to be In the week before the summer holidays, we released details to apopular attraction. Between the end of May and the time of writing local primary and secondary schools about our We Will Remember it has received 845 visitors, which represents alarge increase on the Them workshop, which is being run alongside the There But Not number from the same period last year. We are looking to recruit new There display. During the session, pupils will consider how people past trench volunteers soon, to ensure that it can be opened on an even more and present have remembered the First World War. They will then regular basis. go on to make their own memorial poppy, inspired by the Poppies: We continue with our memorial services and atotal of 8356 crosses Weeping Window installation that was resident at the Castle in 2016. have been placed on the wall. There are 605 crosses still to be placed. So far, nine schools and 267 pupils have signed up to take part in the Ateam of up to ten volunteers have been working alongside the workshop, which will be on offer between September and November. staff in the Archive and collection working on avariety of tasks aimed Furthermore, we have received several other bookings from schools for at rationalising and improving access to the archives. This work relates more general sessions focusing on the First and Second World Wars. directly to action points derived from the Archive Report of the Black As such, between September and November 2018, we are looking to Watch Castle and Museum. These particular projects include the iden- engage with around 500 pupils. tification and compilation of acatalogue for the library and creating a database of Black Watch men who served during the First World War. Archive Cataloguing Project This project has been funded by The Black Watch Association and the Learning and Access initial aim is to compile at least twenty archival catalogues to improve As well as in the running of our usual schools’ workshops, ateam of both the organisation and the use of the archives and access for volunteers have been assisting the Learning and Audiences Officer in researchers. Acatalogue is astructured list, organised in aspecific way, the development and delivery of new learning opportunities. The first which is easy to understand and gives all records unique codes. It invari- of these is asession which focuses on the ‘Highland Identity’ of The ably involves reorganising records and their physical or virtual storage. Black Watch and the Regiment’s links to the 1745 Jacobite Rising. The This will enhance the management and integrity of the archival col- second is aworkshop which looks at how people, past and present, have lections. It will then allow us to assess the total number of catalogues remembered the First World War. we need to compile and the time and resources this would require. Furthermore, volunteers helped in the running of the Museum’s Currently it appears there are aminimum of 200 catalogues to compile Summer Programme and played an active role in delivering the Museum and amaximum of about 800. Explorer’s Club, Hands-On History and Crafts at the Castle activities. Tailpiece Events Lastly we have some new members of the Museum team. The Project On Saturday 19th May we held our Festival of Museums event entitled archivist is Jenny Marshall and Carol-Anne Mackensie has joined us as Jacobites and Redcoats: Battle for the Highlands. Forthis family event, Learning and Audience officer. we worked with the Alan Breck’s Volunteer Regiment re-enactment Our beautiful Queen Mother Room has hosted several Weddings group who ran aseries of Jacobite and Redcoat skirmishes and drill over the summer both the wedding breakfast and the service itself. displays in the Castle grounds. In addition, children made broadswords, Not only did the room look beautiful with tables named after famous muskets and targes during drop-in craft activities and visitors took part battles and dressed with Black Watch silver but the grounds too were in special themed object-handling tours and family-friendly gallery looking fantastic in the Summer sunshine. trails. Over 60 people attended the day and the event received very positive feedback.

The Queen Mother Room prepared for awedding (image by Gary Baker of GB Photography. Redcoats at Balhousie Castle. THE FRIENDS OF THE BLACK We ran abusy family events programme over the summer holidays. WATCH CASTLE AND MUSEUM AMuseum Explorer’s Club session was held every Saturday, with activi- By Sarah Riddell-Webster ties focusing on topics such as cooking in the trenches, team work and the Over the past four years the Friends lecture pro- Battle of Amiens. Furthermore, we held weekly craft and object handling gramme has followed the centenary of the First sessions which enabled visitors to take acloser look at the equipment, World Warwith lectures covering many of the costumes and weapons worn or used by Black Watch soldiers. Finally, main battles and campaigns of that terrible war. Those lectures have we offered aprogramme of weekly trail sheets; each trail focused on a been brought into focus by the memorial services that have taken place particular part of the collection, such as portraits and thus encouraged in the grounds of Balhousie Castle as crosses have been placed at the families to look at the Regiment’s history from different angles. memorial wall to remember the Black Watch men that fell. Ihope that In total, 169 individuals took part in our summer activity programme, the lectures have helped to clarify in people’s minds those events and an increase of over 50% on last year’s figures. the significance of them to so many people.

NOVEMBER 2018 THE RED HACKLE 13 Our lectures have not just covered matters on land. In April this they were played. Pipe Major Duthie then played each one, finishing year we were delighted to welcome Doctor Andrew Gordon from the with Lights Out as he walked out of the Castle. This was atrip down Defence Academy, Shrivenham, to give alecture marking the centenary memory lane for many of the audience and brought afew tears to the of the Zeebrugge and Ostend Raids in April 1918. Doctor Gordon is an eyes as they remembered times of old. expert on maritime warfare and author of the highly acclaimed book Having dipped our lecture toes in the water with Doctor Andrew The Rules of the Game: Jutland and British Naval Command. It was Gordon and The Royal Navy in April, early September saw us look- fascinating to hear Doctor Gordon describe the strategic situation with ing to the skies to mark the 100th anniversary of the formation of particular reference to the U-boat war in 1917-18, the gate-keeping The Royal Air Force. We were delighted to welcome Doctor Alastair role of the Dover Patrol with its huge defensive minefields, the role of Noble, who is deputy of the Air Historical Branch in Northolt, and Air Bruges as anaval base and the two canals connecting it to the North Vice-Marshal Ross Paterson, Air Officer Scotland. Doctor Noble told Sea. Doctor Gordon also looked at the impact of the German Army’s us the story of the early days of the Royal Flying Corps and how by 1918 Spring offensive (Kaiserschlacht). Professor Gary Sheffield had combining with the Fleet Air Arm, The Royal Air Force was formed talked on that subject the previous month, and the effect it had had on in April 1918. Doctor Noble particularly focused on the very signifi- the plan to block the canal entrances at Zeebrugge and Ostend and the cant roles played by the Scots men who were pioneers in the world execution of that plan. of aviation. During the peak of the Second World Warthere were as In May we were firmly back on land with afascinating lecture many as 95 airbases across Scotland. During the question and answer given by Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Willie Coupar on the incred- session at the end of the lecture Air Vice-Marshal Paterson brought ibly complex subject of Allenby’s advance in Palestine. After two the audience up to date with the RAFoftoday. The large number of unsuccessful attempts by General Murray to take Gaza, Allenby took retired RAFmembers in the audience were keen to hear of the RAF’s over. He conducted amost successful campaign leading not only involvement in current Middle East operations and also the advent of to the capture of Gaza but to the taking of Jerusalem and most of the drone to modern warfare. present day Syria. In stark contrast to the Western Front, this was a Later in September we were brought right up to the present day campaign of effective use of force, surprise and mobility. Lieutenant when Lieutenant Colonel RobHedderwick, Commanding Officer of Colonel Coupar is amaster of this subject and delivered alecture The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland came that those of us with no prior knowledge of the campaign were able to tell us of the Battalion’s recent tour of duty as part of Op SHADER, to understand and grasp. By looking at each battle and campaign, Britain’s contribution to the Coalition fighting the Islamic State. It was often in isolation, it can sometimes be difficult to relate to the big- extremely interesting for all of us in the audience to hear how things ger picture and global matters. However, with the arrival in our have changed in that field of operation since The Black Watch Battle lecture hall of Professor Sir Hew Strachan in June, we were given a Group deployed on Op TELIC in 2003. Ithink possibly one of the master class in the global perspective of the economics of the war. most surprising things we learnt was that every soldier needed avisa The American entry into the war, the effect of war on world trade, to deploy; how times have changed! Lieutenant Colonel Hedderwick the way in which the Germans had probably always been doomed delivered an outstanding lecture about current operations in alanguage to lose once they committed to fighting on two fronts simultane- that those of us who do not understand military acronyms had no prob- ously and even if they were only fighting on one, if aquick victory lem following. Now that so much of what the British Army is doing in was unobtainable. It was avery different and completely fascinating Iraq is not part of the 24 hour news feed we are all so used to, it was perspective of the war at the strategic level. very interesting to get afirst-hand report. The July lecture was very different to those that we had had earlier The lecture programme for the rest of the year and well into next in the year. Major (Retired) Hugh Rose delivered areally enjoyable year, is in place and full of variety so Ihope you will find something and interesting lecture about the Bagpipe Music of The Black Watch. that will interest you. Forfull details go to the Museum’s website He was supported by Pipe Major Alistair Duthie. This lecture gave www.theblackwatch.co.uk. those of us that were not in the Regiment aglimpse into the regimental Thank you to all those who continue to support us; we could not give day and the crucial part that the Pipers played in it. The sound of the the help we do to the Museum without you. To those of you who are still Duty Piper playing would be to young officers and men like the chiming to join, we would welcome you. Please pick up an application form next of aclock to the rest of us. Major Rose explained the history behind time you visit Balhousie Castle or, even easier, join on-line by going to many of the tunes that we all know so well and why, where or when the website www.theblackwatch.co.uk and click on the Friends section.

LECTURES December 2018 –March 2019

Base Details: How to trace asoldier Surveying the Literature of the First World War 22nd January 2019 5th December 2018 6:30 drinks reception|7:00 lecture commences. 6:30 drinks reception|7:00 lecture commences. Tickets £10 non-members|£8 Friends. Tickets £10 non-members|£8 Friends. Richard Hunter, The Black Watch Museum Archivist, will give Alecture by Gill Plain, Professor of English Literature and an introductory lecture designed to help those who may know Popular Culture at The University of St Andrews. The trench next to nothing about their military ancestors but would like poetry of which Owen and Sassoon are the most famous exem- to try and find out more. The lecture will include one or two plars has come to stand as shorthand for war writing. But is it the anecdotes about the rewards, perils and pitfalls of pursuing the whole story? service career of your ancestors.

Mud Blood and Bandages: The First Battle of the Atlantic The RAMC on the Western Front 6th February 2019 12th December 2018 6:30 drinks reception|7:00 lecture commences. 6:30 drinks reception|7:00 lecture commences. Tickets £10 non-members|£8 Friends. Tickets £10 non-members|£8 Friends. Professor Phillips O’Brien of the University of St Andrews Historian Andrew Robertshaw will look at how the Royal Army will talk about the Atlantic U-Boat campaign of WW1 and the Medical Corps coped with the conditions of the Western Front prolonged naval conflict between German submarines and the and treated and evacuated the wounded. What role did women Allied convoys in Atlantic waters which reached its peak in play in this process? Wasitjust ‘luck’ that kept you alive? 1917 and 1918.

14 THE RED HACKLE NOVEMBER 2018 Original letters from the 1918 Armistice The Paris Peace Conference and the making of aNew World Order 9th January 2019 14th March 2019

6:30 drinks reception|7:00 lecture commences. 6:30 drinks reception|7:00 lecture commences. Tickets £10 non-members|£8 Friends. Tickets £10 non-members|£8 Friends. Dr Norman Watson will give an illustrated talk built around his Professor Peter Jackson of the University of Glasgow will discuss remarkable collection of unpublished letters from 11 November the Versailles Peace Treaty of June 1919. The German delega- 1918 which record and explain what actually happened on the tion were shocked at the severity of terms and protested at the day the Great Warended. This is the Armistice remembered by contradictions between assurances of the armistice negotiations those who were there and by the anxious families who waited and the reality. and wondered if their loved ones had survived.

PLEASE BOOK ALL LECTURES IN ADVANCE BY Balhousie Castle, Hay Street, Perth PH1 5HR TELEPHONE OR IN PERSON +44 (0)1738 638 152 [email protected] www.theblackwatch.co.uk

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NOVEMBER 2018 THE RED HACKLE 15 Book Reviews

‘A MUDDYTRENCH: ASNIPER’S BULLET’

overflowing into the trench from the battlefield. The heavy rain had poured down all day and many of the men found it almost impossible to get footholds on the soft clay and slithered back down again into the mud. Hamish did all he could to raise his platoon’s morale and encouraged them to keep trying. He led the way, scrambling up with great determination and valour, and they all managed to follow him out. Once over the top, Hamish led his men across the mire, round the rain-filled shell-holes and barbed wire of no-man’s-land, through the sheets of rain, dodging enemy fire as they approached the right-hand end of Snag Trench to relieve the victorious but exhausted Camerons. This was only the beginning of Hamish’s worst nightmare, as he described in his notebook:

Snag Trench That newly captured trench Ishall never forget, nor the anguish Ifelt as we filed slowly in, through the clinging mud in the misty light of the moon. It was the most repellent sight Ihave ever seen, and the absolute horror of it was not in any way lessened by the splendid atmosphere of noble sacrifice that In April 1965, the following letter was published in this magazine: reigned everywhere. “In arecent ‘Red Hackle’ you asked about undiscovered poets in the It was almost impossible in many cases to distinguish Regiment and Iventure to bring to your notice 2/LTA.J.(Hamish) between the dead and the living, so motionless did the latter lie in Mann who served in the 8th Battalion from August 1916 until April their exhaustion, after the terrible work of taking the trench. Some 1917, when he was killed at the Battle of Arras. of the bodies were dreadful, seated on the floor of the trench in “I remember him as afresh coloured, fair-haired young man, natural positions, their faces fallen back, upturned, ghostly-white, popular with his fellows ... something of acharacter,who refused cheeks sunken, teeth gleaming through the grin of death that had to take things seriously,even the senseless idiosyncrasies of ahigher parted their pale lips. command gone mad for blood. ... Reading his work induced strange, Others were face-downwards, clots of blood on their nostalgic moments. Some of his poems were really good. They had of uniforms, gashed and bedraggled, half sunk in the mud –just as course to be read in the spirit of the times in which they were written, they had fallen in that last supreme moment. Afew were terribly for it was an heroic age. mangled. One had had his body from the waist upwards blown There was arich promise in Hamish’s life which, like so many others completely away,and the poor,pitiful legs were lying against the of his day and generation, was not to be allowed to develop.” sloping parados of that unspeakable trench. The recent discovery in aScottish attic of awooden chest, unopened Wounded were littered everywhere, and it rent one’s for 100 years, revealed atreasure trove of eloquent trench diaries, heart to hear them moan and rave in the delirium of their letters and poetry. The author was the very same Hamish Mann, a suffering, or cry aloud as someone stumbled against them in young Black Watch subaltern killed just five days after his 21st birthday. the dark. It was impossible not to do this, for many of these Thanks to Mann’s outstanding literary gifts and prodigious output, a wretched men were almost smothered in the sucking slime that new book, ‘A Muddy Trench: ASniper’s Bullet’, re-lives his fateful journey formed the bottom of the trench. Some were rapidly dying; from the declaration of war to his service with 8th Black Watch on the some –alas! –had already ‘gone berserk’ from wounds, fatigue Somme. and exposure. The daily hardship and trauma he experienced at the Front were Still we filed along, all but sickened by the nauseating shared with countless thousands of his comrades. But Hamish’s stench of decomposing human bodies, adistinctive smell which is extraordinary gift was his ability to record the traumatic events and even now in my nostrils. the range of his emotions, writing often in his dug-out ‘by the light of a Dead Huns, too, were everywhere, the grey of their tunics guttering candle’. assuming aweird aspect in the struggling light. The arm of one Acentury on, thanks to the discovery of his writings, Hamish’s Boche was hanging by amere thread, and the woeful expression tragically short life can be celebrated and his literary legacy given the on his face signified that not much longer would he have to endure recognition it so richly deserves. his agonies. Atot of rum sent the blood tingling through his veins In the following excerpt from this book, Hamish prepares for for aspell –like aflame that spurts up the chimney for amoment battle by writing apoem, to fire himself up, ready to inspire his and then dies down for ever. beloved men of ‘Fighting 14’ Platoon. He then describes atraumatic Another was sitting in ascoop in the back wall of night on the Somme –anight that would haunt his thoughts for the the trench, his legs protruding, one foot smashed to pieces, rest of his short life. the blood showing through the bandages. Every time anyone came near,hebraced himself for the kick which many had unwittingly The Zenith inflicted upon him as they tripped over his sodden legs. To day Ireach the zenith of my life, No time more noble in my span of years Than this, the glorious hour of splendid strife, Hamish and his men in Dcompany settled in as best they could Of War, and cataclysmal woe and tears. manage for the night, but the rain accelerated to torrential proportions All petty are the greatest things of yore, and conditions were atrocious, with very little shelter to be had. Worse All mean and sordid is my dearest lay; still, those few maimed enemy soldiers with any vestige of consciousness, Ihave done nothing more worthwhile before ... started sniping at them in the dark. Though Hamish’s writings make it My hour, my chance, my crisis are today! clear that killing the enemy, even in self-defence, was abhorrent to him, “A fter dark, at 8.30 that evening, 18th October 1916, three companies his hard training and the prevailing conditions forced him to make a of the Black Watch put the plan into action as they struggled to climb quick decision. It was either lose his own men or stop the enemies’ up the muddy parapets, between the streams of murky rainwater sniping. He gave the order and the night air filled with rifle-fire as they

16 THE RED HACKLE NOVEMBER 2018 dispatched those of the wounded Huns who had not been able to exit CRETE THE BATTLE FOR HERAKLION 1941 the trench when the Black Watch had arrived. Hamish’s account continues: by Yannis Prekatsounakis

All these sights, and the indescribable horror of the whole scene, were accentuated as the dawn came stealing over the sky – reluctantly,asthough unwillingly disclosing the terrors which the night had endeavoured to conceal. Before Day had shed its full light upon that ghastly scene, the men set about the grizzly task of digging half-buried men out of the trench and giving them as decent aburial as the battlefield permits. This, Ithink, is one of the most gruesome performances in agruesome business. It is not pleasant to hack and plod away round abody which is not only of extraordinary weight (for dead men weigh like statues of lead), but which also exhales asmell that is overpoweringly repulsive. In the half-light, these burying parties; were dimly outlined, tugging at the decomposing corpses, trying to pull them out of the earth, which appeared to consider them her rightful property.At last they were freed and heaved over the parados. Ashallow hole was excavated, and the job eventually completed ‘Dead men tell no tales,’ people say.But they are wrong – terribly wrong. They speak to me, and Icannot help but listen to them. The tale they tell is too revolting to write here ... and there are those who could not understand ... Many readers of the Journal will be very aware of the part played by the 2nd Battalion in the defence of Heraklion from 20 May 1941 until the The following morning, relieved from front-line duty, the men of evacuation of Crete. Victoria Schofield covers this period in some detail the 8th Battalion made their weary way back behind the lines, in in the second volume of the Regimental history but few books have desperate need of rest and reorganisation. Hamish had to tell his been written in any detail about the battle for Heraklion. men that there was no transport for them, so they would have to Many Black Watch men are mentioned and the diary entries march back to their old bivouac, on the east side of High Wood. of Lieutenant Gerald Barry are of particular interest as are the They were cold, wet, very tired and hungry when they set off, and recollections of Corporal Dave Hutton. the mud was so thick on the ground that it was like marching The author has had access to Greek, Allied and Axis sources and so through treacle. It took them eight hours to march the four miles there is an added dimension to anything that has been written in the from the trenches to High Wood, pulling one foot after the other past. The author has studied the battlefield in some detail and thus out of the oozing mire. gives the reader the opportunity to understand actions and incidents Thanks principally to the “much to be feared” Scottish by examining what happened on the ground. There are many personal Highlanders –the Camerons and the 8th Black Watch, the attack stories and many that bring out the tragedy of war; he mentions in had been asuccess and Hamish’s battalion had been triumphant some detail the deaths of the three von Blucher brothers. in fulfilling their orders by gaining enemy ground, holding the line Good maps and awide selection of photographs (many from German and exerting full control in Snag Tr ench. But, as ever, it was an sources) bring the book to life. expensive victory in terms of the 191 Black Watch casualties during Iwould recommend this book as it has been very well researched and this one action, including 23 lives lost.” explains the battle from acompletely new perspective. The German ‘A Muddy Trench: ASniper’s Bullet’ will be published in early November photographs are of particular interest. 2018, to coincide with the centenary of the Armistice. ISBN 978-1-911096-33-7

THE SCOTTISH SOLDIER’S STORY

by DC Thomson Media

The Courier newspaper has ahistory that spans more than 200 years and throughout they have reported on events both good and bad. The Great Warwas one of the events that shaped the world in which we live and the Courier have produced abook with words and pictures that charts the war and its effect on the Home Front as well as the war on the land, in the air and on the seas. It focusses on Courier Country. It tells the story of local men who served in the Army and par- ticularly The Black Watch, but those who served in the Royal Navy and the Royal Flying Corps, which later became the Royal Airforce. Warpoetry and war art and volunteer nursing are also covered in the 145 pages. ISBN 978-1-84535-735-1

NOVEMBER 2018 THE RED HACKLE 17 Correspondence

20D Victoria Square not have been remarkable were it not for the fact that it was his platoon Newcastle Upon Ty ne commander asking the question The Jock hastily dressed and rushed to NE2 4DE the company office and reported “Mr Brodie has gone mad”. Later, in contact with Arab terrorists, Brodie gave the order “those Dear Editor to the right of the moon, fire to the right of the moon and those to the Iimagine all readers of the May 2018 issue will, like me, have found left of the moon, fire to the left of the moon. Fire!” Brigadier Wilson’s obituary on Joe Hubble both informative and deeply In February 1945 at Goch in the Siegfried Line, the story goes moving. As an insignificant National Service subaltern in 1BW(1956- that when leading his Company and holding abasketful of gre- 58) in Berlin and Redford Barracks, Edinburgh, serving under Colonels nades, he threw many through the windows of enemy occupied Mick Baker-Baker and Jack Monteith and the redoubtable Adjutant houses. Unfortunately, one rebounded and wounded him and later Adam Gurdon, Iwell remember Joe (Cpl Hubble in those days) and he was again wounded by asniper. On astretcher, as he passed the we all held him in high regard. In recent years Ihave been delighted to Commanding Officer on his way to the RAPheshouted “not quite a see Joe, captured on TV,athis annual march past at the Cenotaph; it VC but abloody good DSO”. reminded me of BW days. Alec was wounded many times and was never in action for more Ihope the Brigadier will not be offended if Ipoint out one inac- than 2months; on one occasion on amotorbike with his gallant batman curacy of which he would understandably be unaware. He says Joe was McInnes MM he was wounded on the backside as he had failed to put “a Freeman of the City of London, an honour within the Black Watch his Sten gun in the safety slot: even after the war, when he was serving that he shared only with FM Earl Wavell.” No: Iam, and was, also a with the HLI in Palestine, he was wounded in the shoulder Freeman of that City. In Hubbelrath in 1953 acting as Commanding Officer on asig- Iwas educated at the City of London School, the only surviving public nal exercise he was determined to put some realism into the exer- school in the City after WW2, and when Ileft Iwas able by research to cise; when asked by HQ Guards Brigade for asituation report, he reveal some new facts on the school’s founder. In the middle of Basic said he was under intense gun fire and imitated the noises of the Training (October 1956) in Queens’ Barracks, Perth, Captain Eddie guns; he then ordered me to cut the only cable we had to Brigade Orr-Ewing granted me a72-hour pass to go back to my school for its HQ, as if it had been cut by enemy artillery. It took many hours Lord Mayor’s Prize Day, and there Igave an eight minute oral declama- for the Royal Signals to re-establish communications as Alec tion I’d memorised, “in praise of John Carpenter”, the school’s founder had selected acomfortable farm house way outside the Brigade who in the 1420s was To wn Clerk to the famous Dick Whittington. The boundaries. Again in Hubbelrath, he decided to get driving les- 1956 Lord Mayor then awarded me the Freedom of the City in thanks. sons from the MT sergeant who also had to advise him on the pur- Iamall the prouder of that honour, now Iknow Ihave shared it chase of asecond hand Mercedes. On his first drive out of the bar- with Joe Hubble and Earl Wavell. racks he hit Nigel Noble’s car; rushing back to the Commanding Yours sincerely Officer Neville Blair, covered in sweat, he announced that he had Mick Bond hit Nigel. The CO went white until he realised he was talking about acar. The embassy in Beirut where he was Military Attaché was in the Hampton line of fire between the two rival insurgent groups. He said there had Middlesex been much shooting and that ”if he had been standing on the dining TW12 2EL room table in the embassy he would have been shot straight through the head.” Dear Editor This is just asmall selection of many tales. Perhaps it’s just worth LIEUTENANT COLONEL ACBRODIE DSO OBE MC mentioning that when Alec stayed with his old friends the Pilchers, Imuch enjoyed the hilarious article about Alec Brodie in the May he fell asleep in the bath which was typical, and although he tried edition. Iserved with him in both the First and Second Battalions and unsuccessfully to mop up with every available towel and mat they were greatly admired him for his kindness, courage and eccentricities. I amused and unsurprised. remember, numerous stories about Alec and wondered if afew might There was no one like him. He was avery wonderful man and avery give aflavour of this amazing man. gallant Black Watch officer In Palestine in 1938, in arow of thunder boxes; aJock was asked by ALWatson his neighbour what he thought about “that chap Brodie”. This would Major General

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18 THE RED HACKLE NOVEMBER 2018 Obituaries

LIEUTENANT COLONEL the battalion achance to make fun of everyone else....even the RSM. APLHALFORD-MACLEOD He was adedicated and active member of the Black Watch Kirk Session. Philip Halford-MacLeod died on 31 August His time at 1BWquickly drew to aclose. In 1983 Philip went to Battle 2018 after along illness. The eldest son of Group Trainer in Sennelager as the SO2 Infantry. At that time he was a adiplomat, he was born in Baghdad on most experienced Te eth Arm Field Officer and amaster of manoeuvre 28 April 1942. His childhood was spent in warfare. Philip advised and guided numerous commanding officers Europe and the Middle East. Educated during his time at BBGT. After promotion in 1985, he commanded at Twyford and Winchester College he the Glasgow and Strathclyde Universities Officer Training Corps. He entered RMASin1960 as acadet in enjoyed being back in Scotland and the academic environment helping Dettingen Company. He was commis- young people to fulfil career ambitions for the future. He had an endur- sioned into The Black Watch in December ing mantra for the OTC: “One can be acaptain in the Army, acaptain 1962, joining the 1st Battalion in Knook in the reserves or acaptain of industry” and many of his former officer Camp before deploying to Malta. He went cadets owe their success in part to his energy and wise counsel. up to Magdalen College Oxford in 1963 In 1989 Philip was appointed as the Chief of Staff, Scottish Division. having won aplace from RMAStoread He was the architect of the “Big Blaw”; at that time, it was the world’s modern languages. This proved very useful biggest gathering of pipers and drummers carried out in front of seven in future years. He was an accomplished Royal Colonels on Horse Guards Parade. This was aspectacular event oarsman, competing for his school, RMAS and it was felt by some that he did not receive the recognition he and his college. He came down from Oxford in 1965 returning to the deserved. In 1991 he moved to HQ Scotland to run the Scottish Action Battalion in Minden. He deployed to Cyprus as part of UNFICYP in and Support Te am in the Options for Change Phase 1and 2tohelp 1967 guarding the Green Line separating the Greeks in the south of the redundees, of which he was one himself, transition to civilian life. He island from the Turks in the North. left the Army in 1993 after 33 years service. After service in Minden where he became RSO he was posted to After ashort spell in tourism he became the Schools’ Liaison Officer the Scottish Infantry Depot in 1968 at Bridge of Don where he was to for Scotland, ajob he much enjoyed preparing many young school leav- meet his wife, Alison. In 1969 he rejoined 1BWasRSO in Gibraltar ers for acareer as an officer in the Army. At short notice Philip then and after returning to Kirknewton in 1970 deployed on an emergency moved to become the Universities Liaison Officer continuing his inter- tour to Belfast at atime of heightened tension. In 1971, Philip and his est in developing the potential of young people to whom he proved to now growing family, including Seamas and Rory the two white terriers, be an inspiration in their quest to pursue military careers. moved to Perth as the Adjutant and latterly Training Major with the In his spare time, in addition to painting lead soldiers, curling, and 51st Highland Volunteers. Annual Camp in Cyprus coincided with the walking his dogs he became Commandant of the Black Watch Battalion 1974 Tu rkish invasion of the PanHandle. It was made very clear, very ACF. It gave him much satisfaction to be able, yet again to encourage quickly that the Highland Volunteers, despite being over 600 offic- young people to fulfil their potential. ers and men in strength, fully armed but without asingle live round Moving to Fife in 1993 meant that he could be in Scotland and within amongst them, were not to be used operationally as the MoD moved to the Regiment’s recruiting area. As President he gave his full support make sure UK interests were protected. to the Fife Branch of the Black Watch Association, as he did during a Following Perth, Philip was posted to HQ 3Infantry Brigade as short spell as Chairman of the Black Watch Museum taking much time GSO3 Int (A) initially in Lurgan and then Portadown. There, he and energy to set up the “Friends of the Black Watch”. worked closely with the Brigade Major, HJones before returning to Like everyone he had his disappointments. However, his greatest 1BWinBallykinler in 1976. He took up command of HQ Company satisfaction came from helping those for whom he felt responsible to with CSM Charlie Quin and his 2I/C, To rquil MacLeod at his side. achieve their ambitions whatever they were. Despite the best of efforts, CSM Quin refused the invitation of becom- Philip was adevoted family man and aman of deep Christian faith ing aMacLeod. who was justly proud of his three children. His two sons followed him Yetanother move in 1979 followed, to HQ BAOR in Rheindahlen into the Army. His daughter inherited his gift of languages. as the SO2 G1 Security dealing with amongst other things SOXMIS Alarger than life figure he made many lasting friends. An outgoing sightings. 1981 brought him back to 1BW, this time in Werl as OC and jovial person he lived life to the full and he was at all times courte- A(Grenadier) Company, probably one of the highlights of his Army ous. ‘Forward the Forty Second!’ he would cry and so we must go on, service. He, with the support of Jimmy ”Ag the Bag” Atkinson, led a but the world is apoorer place without the likes of him. very happy and professional Company. Full of characters, the Company Jamie Halford-MacLeod enjoyed his little eccentricities; the King Edward cigars, the BATUS baseball cap, and yet more dogs. Battlegroup deployments to BATUS Philip commanded HQ Company during the 1st Battalion’s first were times of great happiness where he enjoyed the simple life of sol- Northern Ireland residential tour in Ballykinler from July 1976 to diering on the prairie. The Grenadiers were grouped with BSquadron, February 1978. This appointment was, however, much more challeng- Royal Scots Dragoon Guards. This was arelationship he was very proud ing that it may sound; he was effectively the base camp commander of and was avery happy and dynamic combination. Philip’s famous war- throughout the operational tour and had many responsibilities addi- cry on the net “Tally Ho the Grenadiers!” was heard by many. It was tional to those normally associated with command of HQ Company. one of his signature marks that told everyone how proud he was of A These included particularly the wellbeing of wives and families while (Grenadier) Company. husbands were out of camp on operations, also looking after the wel- He then became Battalion Second -in-Command. In this capacity fare of off-duty single soldiers in camp. He coped with all the demands he served under Garry Barnett and latterly Edward de Broë-Ferguson thrown at him with infectious and good humoured enthusiasm. with Ronnie Proctor as RSM. The battalion was called upon to show- ED Cameron case the infantry in BAOR. Staff College Demonstrations, Ex LIQUID CHASE, an NBC trial and test exercise all came on top of opera- Although not amember of The Black Watch family, it was my privi- tional commitments to Northern Ireland. When deployed in Belfast lege to know Philip Halford Macleod for nigh on 30 years. (December 1982 –May 1983) he was asked why he did not carry arifle Although neither of us could be described as cracking shots we both on patrol. He answered that carrying apistol made speaking to the became members of the Army shoot at Craigiehall and the Pentlands, local population easier; he did not feel like he was shoving an SLR in frequently commiserating one with another “about the one that got away.” their faces. As PMC he was often asked to repair Mess property that Iworked as an Administrator at Glasgow University, my old alma mater, had become acasualty of games in the Mess. He was skilled working after Ileft the Army, where Philip had commanded the OTC, in which with his hands. He produced the Battalion Pantomime “Jock and the Ihad served as acadet several decades previously. All those with whom Beanstalk”, aseminal piece of artistic creativity that gave everyone in Icame in contact spoke with fond memories of their Black Watch CO.

NOVEMBER 2018 THE RED HACKLE 19 Curling was another area of contact, both in the Queich Club at up to Jerusalem on amotorcycle. He found all help refused because of Kinross and on the Army meets at Dewars Centre, Perth, where the well equipped Royal Engineers, the Palestine Police and Military my contribution was more to make up numbers rather than to Police who were guarding forensic evidence and looking for casualties. ensure success. On moving to Perth Ideveloped akeen interest in Major Burnaby-Atkins was sent to the UK to be interviewed by The Black Watch Museum and it was Philip’s idea that Ibecome Wavell the Viceroy and left Palestine, soon to be followed by Cowper- amember of the Friends Events Committee on which Iamstill Coles, Critchley and Grant-Suttie. In September 1946 they joined a privileged to serve. troop ship at Port Said to find Captain Angus Irwin on board. They All in all, Ifound Philip to be acharming, honourable man, true to arrived at the 2nd Battalion in Karachi on 19th September 1946 and his friends and justifiably proud of his Regiment. He was also highly Geoffrey was given aplatoon to command and served in Peshawar. intelligent with amodern languages degree from Oxbridge –ifany- He enjoyed the travel (visits to the Kyber Pass and the locations while thing, he somewhat underplayed this aspect of his persona. His slow referencing the Referendum), the peace keeping duties and the basic decline was so sad to see but the courage borne by Alison during this mountain-warfare training in Cherat. period was remarkable. He will be much missed. It was atime of great unrest in Karachi, not helped by the difficul- WCoupar ties of the Army run-down, particularly for aBattalion destined to be the last in what became Pakistan. He missed the last parades and the Ihave known Philip since he joined 1BWwhen Nigel Noble com- troopship voyage to Perth. manded in Warminster and he was one of the very first Black Watch He was awarded the 1939-1945 WarMedal and the General Service regular officers to go to University –inhis case Oxford. Educated Medal with clasp “Palestine 1945-1948”. at Winchester he was more clever than most of us but never tried to After leaving the army, Geoffrey returned to his London home and demonstrate that he was brighter than his brother officers. He was worked at Lloyds, with Guinness and as an Estate Agent moving to good with all ranks and was clearly delighted to have been accepted as various houses in Chelsea. aBlack Watch officer. Geoffrey was an officer of the generation who were ‘called up’ for Our next time to serve together was when we were in Werl in Military Service, at the end of the war during atime of political and 1980 -1983 and from which 1BWdid atour in Belfast. He was avery military turmoil and of great struggles in the Middle East, which have competent, caring Company Commander in Germany who recognised ramifications to the present day. the abilities of individual soldiers. He then became 2IC taking over He was adevoted family man. The Times recorded in his obituary from Stephen Lindsay and had to handle some difficult situations in “beloved youngest son of Sherard and Constance, dear brother of Belfast, including the death of asoldier from another Regiment when Sherard and Peter. Loving uncle and good friend to many. the Commanding Officer was away on R&R. We will remember his sense of service, his charm, and his pride in Very much apeople person he was ever smiling and welcoming being in the Regiment evinced by his RedHackle treasured in aglass and after retirement helped at meetings of the Regimental and case in his house over all these years. Wavell Tr usts, acting very often as (he described himself) the scribe IRCRITCHLEY –writing the minutes. He was also Chairman of The Black Watch Museum for atime. LIEUTENANT COLONEL DENYS GCBarnett ROWAN HAMILTON MVO DL Lieutenant Colonel Denys Archibald GEOFFREY OSBORNE COWPER-COLES Rowan Hamilton MVODLdied on Geoffrey was born on the 13th of March 1929 and died 10 May2018athomeinKillyleagh, on 21 July 2018 after ashort illness. County Down. He was born 26 April He was educated at Harrow and was ‘called up’ 1921 the second son of Brigadier-General shortly after leaving school and was soon undergoing Gawain Rowan Hamilton of The Black training at Pirbright in the “Brigade Squad”. He was Watch (1884-1947), by his wife the former granted an Emergency Commission into the Regiment Phyllis Frances Agnes Blackburn, [who on 28 September 1945 as aSecond Lieutenant and was agranddaughter maternally of the was soon to join the 4th Battalion at Swansea. The 13th Earl of Strathmore &Kinghorne]. Battalion was on the point of leaving by troopship, Denys was the middle of three brothers, bound for the Middle East and disembarked on 4 and all three joined The Black Watch. December 1945. Such was their reputation, that it was said Tr aining in Egypt and acclimatisation, took that it was too much to have two Rowan place at Kassasin near Cairo. The Battalion was Hamiltons in the same battalion at any moved to South Palestine and Geoffrey served one time, let alone three. at Binyamina, Hadera and Beitlid before the Denys’ army career spanned 29 years. The son of agallant Battalion was ordered back to Egypt for disband- and distinguished Black Watch officer and with an elder brother ment on 11 May 1946. Officers who had been attached to us were already in the regiment, Denys went to Sandhurst straight from sent back to their parent units. Regulars and potential regular Wellington College in August 1939. Tw odays before war was officers were given achoice. Thus several of us said we wanted declared he and his fellow officer cadets were enlisted as private to go back to Palestine and join the 6th Airborne Division. Four soldiers into the Queen’s Royal Regiment, the West Surreys, and officers, Freddy Burnaby-Atkins, Ian Critchley, Geoffrey Cowper- in December he was commissioned into The Black Watch after a Coles and Ian Grant-Suttie set off with hope of getting into a greatly reduced course. 6th Airborne Division, preferably the Battalion found from the Initially too young to serve overseas it was not until the end of 1942 Camerons. As luck would have it, we were posted to 1st Battalion that he was able to join the 1st Battalion in North Africa. His Africa The Hertfordshire Regiment on 19 March 1946. Star, Italy Star and France and Germany Star are evidence of the Geoffrey was promoted to Lieutenant on 28 March 1946 and served challenging times he faced in the final months of the campaign against in Jaffa and Sarafand and took part in the 6th Airbornes’ Operation Rommel’s Afrika Corps, in the landings in Sicily and Normandy, and, “Shark” in Te lAviv, which searched acity of some 170,000 occupants as signals officer and 3” mortar officer, in the fighting all the way into of whom very many were screened. Over four days from ‘D Day’ on Germany. On VE day he had only just celebrated his 24th birthday. Of 30 July 1946, thousands of citizens were put through this detailed the three Rowan Hamilton boys, he was the only one not to be taken screening, with much HAGANA information, weapons, and ammuni- as aprisoner of war. tion gained. From then until he retired in 1967 he seemed to tour the world. After Geoffrey was in Sarafand Camp when the King David Hotel was ashort spell as Adjutant of the 1st Battalion in Duisburg in Germany bombed in Jerusalem. The Commanding Officer of 1HERTS asked if he went to Southern Rhodesia to be ADC to the Governor. Here he his Battalion could help in any way but this was refused owing to the earned his MVOduring avisit by His Majesty The King, not least, by intense work to locate and recover casualties and the dead. Colonel providing his own regimental sword for the Sovereign to tap some new ‘Socks’ Hose DSO, determined to send areconnaissance party to test knights on the shoulder; and where he had an encounter with Field the refusal sent his Intelligence Officer, Captain Critchley, who went Marshal Montgomery that ended in the Field Marshal sending him

20 THE RED HACKLE NOVEMBER 2018 home to the UK to help train his troops. However as the Colonial On retirement he never lost his interest in his old regiment, writing Office refused to pay for his fare and the WarOffice also being letters to The RedHackle on many subjects. This one is typical: “May I reluctant it fell to Monty to pay for it himself. When Denys reported call upon my erstwhile subordinate who no longer does anything which to the WarOffice on his return he was told that his file caused more Itell him, to restore to the Headdress of the Jocks some resemblance argument and more trouble than any other as the various departments to the Balmoral bonnet? The process”, he continued, “of smartening tried to work out who was to pay. up the rather floppy article issued by Ordnance has transformed a Following Rhodesia, he was sent next to West Africa Command and traditional highland garment into aform of cat’s dinner dish.” the Gold Coast Regiment; Perth; then to the Canadian Staff College; In 1961, after three engagements to others, he married Wanda post-war Korea; back to Perth; Norway; Cyprus; Dundee to command Annette Maxwell née Warburton, herself the widow of Major Ronald one of the Black Watch TA Battalions; and finally to the Levant where, St George Maxwell of The Black Watch. Along with Wanda came four in 1964, he began his last military appointment as Military Attaché stepchildren: David, Charles, Linda and Ronald, two of whom later in Beirut and Damascus. To get there Denys decided that he and the joined the regiment (Charles and Ronald Maxwell), but not content family would go by sea, partly so that they could take the car with them. with aready made family, three more children were added: Conta, They embarked, Denys, wife and three young children, changing ships Louisa and Gawn. Having been brought up himself in astrict Victorian in Genoa en route. On arrival in Beirut, Denys, clearly overwhelmed by manner, controlling children did not come easily to aconfirmed 40 the experience of travelling for so long on aship with the children (the year-old bachelor. experiences on atroop ship were as nothing to this) the first thing he Following his departure from The Black Watch, Denys came to said to the officer who met them at the docks was: “That’s it, no more Northern Ireland to take on his ancestral home, Killyleagh Castle, soldiering for me. Icannot possibly move with this lot ever again!” And where he became afarmer at the age of 46. This he truly loved and so it turned out, despite the Army’s vigorous attempts to dissuade him. he farmed 250 acres largely by himself. Against the back drop of the In 1967 Denys officially became acivilian again. Troubles, he could not stand idly by. So he threw himself into local With this fine and eclectic record of service he was also agreat politics, standing for the non unionist/non nationalist Alliance Party as regimental character. With his family connections to the regiment he alocal councillor for eight years. Indeed on the burning of his effigy clearly had awell-defined notion of what was proper and what was not. in the local village he claimed he had finally made adifference. In Younger officers recall aman who could scare the kilt off an otherwise 1977 he became the first Alliance councillor to become Chairman of intrepid subaltern but also aman who obviously knew his military Down District Council. In addition he served as High Sheriff and as a business and who, despite the fearsome exterior, harboured agreat Deputy Lieutenant for County Down. One local councillor admired his sense of humanity and agreat sense of humour. Chairmanship: “No meeting lasted longer than it took him to complete With several revered bachelor majors ruling the roost in the Mess in the Times crossword”. Cyprus, bridge was compulsory after dinner. Denys was ademanding And of course, despite all the demands on his time, to many later partner and was not slow to berate any unfortunate young officer generations of Black Watch officers and their families, he and Wanda selected to play with him if he made the wrong bid or played the wrong were always wonderfully generous and welcoming hosts as the battalion card. He is remembered for his habit, in the middle of ahand being passed in and out of Northern Ireland on successive tours of duty over played, of spreading his cards on the table saying “A nd the rest are all those years of the Tr oubles. Strong in opinion, principled in his mine”. He was probably right but no one ever dared challenge him. actions, intensely proud of his family and his regiment, memorable He had high standards too when it came to food. Complaints to friend to so many, entertaining and generous host, aman who lived life the food member in the Mess were frequent and to the point, until to the full and thoroughly enjoyed it: this was Denys Rowan Hamilton the unfortunate officer could at last take no more and responded to Gawn Rowan Hamilton demands for more exciting fare by ordering the Mess cook to produce scrambled eggs dyed green. The food member was sacked but there JIM BAIRD were no more complaints! Jim Baird, agreat Regimental character died after abrief but serious He was banned from the Garrison Officers Club in Dhekalia for illness at Perth Royal infirmary on the 23rd having disrupted aregular game of Bingo which he considered to be a of July 2018, some three months short of completely un-officer-like activity. his 84th birthday. In more military matters he quite rightly demanded the best of Jim one of afamily of three was born on standards in dress and professional skills. When Denys was Second- the 12th of September 1934 and grew up in-Command, the CO called him into his office to inspect the work of at Mid Tu lleybannocher, outside Comrie ayoung Intelligence Officer who had proudly drawn out some sort of in Perthshire and was educated at the scheme on amapboard. Denys took one look at it, said it was aload of local schools. He enlisted into The Black damned nonsense and spun the mapboard back to the young officer as Watch in 1952 for six years and after basic if it were afrisbee and marched back to his own office. The Intelligence training at Queens’ Barracks he was posted Officer in due course became Colonel of the Regiment. to the 2nd Battalion in Germany, where It was from Cyprus that Denys led asmall expedition to Libya, to he served in Dortmund. He then moved explore the routes taken by the war-time Long Range Desert Group. with the 2nd Battalion to Crail and later Communications were not of course what they are today and part of British Guiana. On the disbandment of the the party went missing for five days, their radio having failed. It must 2nd Battalion he joined the 1st Battalion have been an anxious time for Denys having men lost in the desert and took part as aHighland Dancer in the 1957 Pipes and Drums but on their safe return his reaction was to praise the men for their and Regimental Band tour of North America under Pipe Major Jock fortitude and for not giving up. That is the mark of aproper leader, McNicol who was teaching him the pipes at that time. something that undoubtedly Denys was. No wonder he was so well He left the army for ashort time and worked in the forestry industry liked and so well respected. before re-enlisting into the regiment. Serving in aRifle Company he Back in Perth, Denys was appointed president of an exam board soon gained promotion to Lance Corporal whilst the battalion was at the Glenalmond CCF for what was then known as Certificate serving in Cyprus. At the end of the Battalion’s tour in Cyprus, Jim A. On the way there he gave advice to the subaltern accompanying along with four other junior NCOs gave up their seats on the aircraft him: “Wherever you go always take adinner jacket with you”. “Even which was to take them home and decided to do it the hard way, by to aCertificate ABoard?” replied the brave young man to which, hitch hiking through Europe wearing civilian clothes and their kilts. unsurprisingly, he received the sort of reply that would be improper to All went well until Jim landed badly when jumping from the back of repeat in an obituary. alorry in Naples and twisted his leg, he was forced to continue the That same evening at dinner in the Mess the telephone rang just journey home by train to Calais and then from Dover to Comrie in time after the officers had started the main course. Denys refused to allow to marry Mary on the 21st December 1961. They spent 47 happy years anyone to answer it saying that nothing should interrupt officers while together, with son Mark being born whilst the regiment was stationed they dined. The Mess Corporal came back to say that it was Lord at Kirknewton in 1968. Mary sadly died in 2008. So-and-So and that unless an officer came to the phone immediately Jim continued to serve in the 1st Battalion for the remainder of his there would be no shooting tomorrow. This of course changed things twenty two year career and was employed in A(Grenadier) Company, and we may guess who got the shooting! the Quartermaster’s Department, the Mortar Platoon and as CQMS

NOVEMBER 2018 THE RED HACKLE 21 HQ Company. He completed his service as arecruiter in Perth where called, “Tougher than Bullets” which was published in October 2012 . he settled down. He was then employed as amotor mechanic with This coincided with the 60th Anniversary Weekend in Perth which was Dicksons of Perth before moving back to the regiment as the Civilian organised by the Black Watch Association and attended by alarge number Storeman with 51st Highland/3 BW at Queen’s Barracks TA Centre of veterans including Harold who Ifound to be akind and generous in Perth. He also joined the Home Service Force of the TA and later person who was extremely proud to have served in the regiment. became the Black Watch Battalion ACFRSM and was commissioned RJWProctor before he fully retired and hung up his uniform. His love of the the regiment continued, as on his retiral from being a ALEXANDER JAMES DONALD civilian storeman he came to Balhousie Castle and became the friendly Alexander Donald died in May 2018 but had undertaken his National face to welcome visitors at the front of house along with Jim Sandilands Service in the 1st Battalion during the Korean War. and John Nicol. He was in 2nd Lieutenant AJYounger’s platoon in ACompany Jim was instrumental in the resurrection of the Perth Branch of the which was then under the command of Major ADH Irwin. Corporal Association some fifteen years ago and helped make it the success it is Donald was involved in the Battle of the Hook in November 1952 today. Along-time member of the Association Welfare Committee his and in aletter sent from his platoon commander to his mother he advice and opinions were sadly missed after he retired due to health was given high praise; “in order to become afull Corporal during issues. Jim was alarger than life character who gave so much to the National Service requires rather more than the ordinary initiative and Regiment and will be sadly missed by all who knew him. personality because as you know, with that rank one has command of RJWProctor up to ten men.... we shall be sorry to lose him but Iamsure you will be glad to have him home again” ALAN BURNETT RMRiddell Alan Burnett was born in Inverness in 1932 and spent many of his formative years in Kyle of JAMES FORBES Lochalsh and then Perth. Jim was born on the 10th of March 1949 and His first job was as amessage boy within the died on the 6th of July 2018. He was educated offices of the Railway in Perth but he was called at Bell Baxter High in Cupar. On leaving up for National Service. After training at Queens’ school, Jim took up employment as alabourer Barracks he served in Berlin and Korea. and after atwo year spell decided he would join On demob he joined the TA and also worked The Black Watch. After ashort stint in aDuty for Pullars of Perth. He held anumber of Company, Jim joined the Pipes and Drums and different jobs over the years and then led abusy stayed with them for seven years, becoming retirement. avery able Highland Dancer. He served in He was agreat family man who enjoyed Northern Ireland, Cyprus and BAOR. Scottish dance and bagpipe music and aflutter On leaving the Regiment Jim took up employment as alabourer on the horses. once more but still had the Military in his blood, joining the Royal RMRiddell Corps of Transport (TA) and gaining amuch treasured H.G.V.Licence. Unfortunately his health deteriorated and he had to retire. He was a HAROLD DAVIS member of the Fife Branch remaining aloyal and supportive member Harold Davis was born in Cupar, until an accident which led to his early death, Fife on the 10th of May 1933 and RMScott died on the 26th June 2018 aged 85. The war years brought asense PIPE MAJOR ALEXANDER (SANDY) HAIN of immediacy to the Davis family Sandy Hain died on the 28th of March as RAFLeuchars was only afew 2018 aged 89. He was born in Leslie, miles from the family home and Fife on the 27th of September 1928 and his father, who was amember of was the eldest of afamily of nine. His the Home Guard and worked in father was an accomplished piper and the sugar beet factory in Cupar, Pipe Major, his brother and sister also lost his fingers due to an explosion played in local Pipe Bands. of adevice during training. The Sandy’s first pipe lessons began when family then moved to Perth where he was four years old and his serious Harold’s parents ran apub, the studies began four years later. His initial Palace in George Street. contact with the regiment which lasted all Akeen footballer Harold declined the offer to work in the pub trade of his life, began when he was fourteen and signed for East Fife Football team and played under Scott Symon when he joined The Black Watch Army who would later manage him at Rangers. Cadets. He then joined the army when In 1951 he was called up to complete his two year period of National he was 17 at the end of the Second Service and reported to Queens’ Barracks to carry out basic training. World Warand after recruit training was He was later posted to the 1st Battalion who were preparing to deploy posted to the 1st Battalion in May 1946 in to Korea as part of the British Commonwealth Division. Harold‘s Duisburg, Germany as amember of the Pipes and Drums. leadership qualities were soon recognised and he gained promotion to His skill and talent were soon noticed as he was sent on aPipe Corporal and was employed as aSection Commander. Major’s course at Edinburgh Castle which at that time was run by the He was badly wounded on the Hook position in May 1953 during Piobaireached Society under the tutelage of the famed Pipe Major an enemy raid and immediately evacuated to ahospital in Japan Willie Ross. where he was unconscious for ten days before being evacuated to He was later appointed Pipe Major of the Regimental Depot at London where he spent ayear recovering from his wounds. He then Queens’ Barracks, Perth where he had the opportunity to teach returned to Perthshire to Bridge of Earn Hospital for recuperation and young pipers who were hoping to serve in the regiment. He also had rehabilitation. His determination was noticed by aphysio and former the opportunity to take part in all the local piping competitions and Rangers player David Kin who recommended him to Scott Symon at highland games where he won many trophies and put the regiment’s Ibrox. Harold joined the club in 1956 and remained there until 1964 name firmly on the map in piping circles. making 261 appearances, alongside John Greig and Bobby Shearer. He In 1953 Sandy was appointed Pipe Major of the reformed Second continued his football career in both coaching and management with Battalion then based in Dortmund and he served with them until they were various clubs in Scotland before moving north in 1975 to run ahotel in again disbanded in 1956. He led the Second Battalion Pipes and Drums the Gairloch in Wester Ross along with his wife and son Alan. at the 1956 Edinburgh Ta ttoo where they performed alongside the First He survived aserious car accident in 1998 and went on to write a Battalion Pipes and Drums which is the first and last time this occurred. book along with co-author Paul Smith on his experiences in Korea Sandy then left the Army in 1957 and moved to the United States

22 THE RED HACKLE NOVEMBER 2018 where he remained for the remainder of his life. He was well known served his time until enlisting into the Regiment in 1965. He completed in the piping world in the United States where he formed pipe his training in Stirling Castle and was posted to the Battalion in Minden. bands, judged at competitions and wrote numerous pipe tunes. He He served in BAOR, the UK, the FarEast, Belize and soldiered in Rifle was involved in the compilation of the excellent Black Watch Pipe Companies, the Signal Platoon, aterm as the Officers’ Mess Manager Collection and kept in touch with the regiment through emails and and ashort period in Colchester with the Army Air Corp. Jock ended telephone calls to the Association Secretary right up until he died. his service as aRecruiting Sergeant in Dunfermline office and on demob Predeceased by his wife in 2009 he is survived by his daughter Anna, took up employment with the M.O.D. in Stirling and there he remained her husband Ian and their family. until retirement. He then fell ill and was given akidney transplant which RJWProctor gave him anew quality of life. He never forgot this and as athank you he raised money for cancer charities and was the Secretary for the Fife GORDON KIRBY Kidney Association for many years. His faith played apart in his life and Warrant Officer Class Tw oGordon Kirby who was always known as not only was he an elder with the Kirk of The Black Watch but became Rip died on the 17th of December 2017 and anotice of his death was Lodge Chaplain in his Mother Lodge in St Andrews. Jock was aloyal published in the last edition of the RedHackle Magazine. He served Black Watch man. in both the 2nd and 1st Battalions and also as one of the first Senior He will be missed by his family and friends in the Fife Branch and Permanent Staff Instructors (PSIs) with newly formed 51st Highland wider Regiment. Volunteers at “A” (Black Watch) Company, Rodd Road in Dundee. RMScott Always smart and well turned out, Rip was often selected to take part in ceremonial Quarter Guards for visiting dignitaries in the numerous GEORGE PATTIE stations in which he served. George who was known as Podge was born During his service in the regiment he served in specialist platoons and educated in the Levenmouth area and such as the Signals when he was aCorporal and was also an authority although not amember of the Branch was on anti-tank warfare as aSenior NCO both in the UK and in BAOR. always keen to know what was going on. On his final tour with the 1st Battalion he was appointed Company Podge was the younger brother of Jake Sergeant Major of A(Grenadier) Company whilst the battalion was Pattie (MT) and when George was called for serving in Hong Kong and accompanied the Company on Exercise National Service, Jake decided to re-enlist. to New Zealand under Major Colin Innes. His cool and unflappable The brothers both served in the 6th/7th nature, attention to detail and good nature made him awell respected Battalion and then found themselves in Warrant Officer. the same squad at Queens’ Barracks. On Avery keen golfer he always managed to find agood golf course completion of their training they were wherever he was stationed and bring back silverware to the Warrant posted to the 1st Battalion in Cyprus. Officers’ and Sergeants’ Mess. Podge was atalented footballer and RJWPROCTOR played for the battalion and the Army team Middle East. He also played for RABMACDONALD Brechin, Montrose and Dundee United and on leaving the Army got RabMacDonald who served in the 1st involved in managing football teams. Battalion from the late 1960s until the late RMScott 1970s died on the 1st of July 2018. His funeral was private and held near his WO2 (PIPE MAJOR) DENNIS RODDEN family home in England. Dennis Rodden was born in Kirkcaldy Originally from Dundee Rabjoined the but brought up in Kennoway where 1st Battalion at Kirknewton and initially he learned to play the bagpipes from served in aRifle Company. He was always the age of eight. He joined The Black very fit and well turned out and showed Watch as aNational Service soldier leadership potential, which made him an in 1954 having had his call-up papers ideal candidate for an NCO’s cadre. deferred until he had completed his He was akeen sportsman and he felt that apprenticeship as amotor mechanic. He his future in the Battalion was serving as a saw service in British Guiana, British PTI in the Gym. After successfully passing Honduras and Cyprus and as Pipe the Army Physical Training Course at Aldershot he returned to the Major of the 1st Battalion from 1959 to Battalion and achieved his ambition. 1961. While still serving with The Black By the time the Battalion had moved to Ballykinler in 1976 Rab’s Watch he spent eight years (1962 to talent as amarksman was spotted by WO2 George Scott who coached 1970), as Pipe Major of The Highland the most successful Battalion Shooting team of all time. The team was Brigade Depot Pipes and Drums at ably commanded by Captain Richard Nunneley and Rabbecame part Fort George (having succeeded the of that team being overall winners of the Northern Ireland Skill at Arms legendary Pipe Major Donald MacLeod Meeting and also doing very well at the Regular Army Skill at Arms of The Seaforth Highlanders) and of The Scottish Division Depot Meeting at Bisley. Pipes and Drums at Gordon Barracks, Aberdeen. He spent the final six Rablater transferred to the RAOC as an instructor and then settled years of his service as Pipe Major of the 1st Battalion, The King’s Own in Hampshire. He was awarded aPolice Commendation for disarming Scottish Borderers. He served in Germany and completed three tours and trying to detain aviolent individual at Winchester Station on the of duty in Northern Ireland before retiring from the regular army in 30th of June 2016. This was typical of Rabwho always showed that he 1976 after twenty two years service. Dennis was an accomplished piper was willing to put his head above the parapet and show great courage who, in his day, was asuccessful solo competitor around the highland and support for what he believed in. games. He took part regularly in the Edinburgh Military Ta ttoo where RJWPROCTOR he performed as lone piper on several occasions. His brothers Michael, Alex and Jimmy also served with The Black Watch. JOHN NIVEN On his return to civilian life, Dennis settled in Kirkcaldy with his John was born in St Andrews on the 4th of family, his wife Mary, who died in 2014 and their two children. He October 1944 and died on the 21st of August worked with GEC at Mitchelston in Kirkcaldy until he retired and 2018 in Victoria Hospital Kirkcaldy. John for many years kept up his piping as Pipe Major of the local Scottish (known to some as Jock the Lum) was educated Ambulance Service Pipe Band. He also enjoyed an occasional trip and worked in St Andrews before his enlistment to Germany to perform with ‘Blechschaden,’ the brass section of and during his school days was achoir boy the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, under the baton of his cousin with alocal Kirk. On leaving school, he took Bob Ross their musical director and afellow Kirkcaldy man. Ioften up employment as an apprentice butcher and enjoyed Dennis’s company at the Kirkcaldy United Services Institute,

NOVEMBER 2018 THE RED HACKLE 23 Kirkcaldy’s ex-servicemen’s club, and he will be missed very much. He hill and he was able to use his height and strength to throw grenades is survived by his daughter Donna and son Brian. towards the muzzle flashes. He then took aparty of six men and Peter Snaddon QVRM continued to hurl grenades as they tried to clear the ridge of enemy. With total disregard for his own safety and in the teeth of murderous ANDREW ROBERTSON close range fire he led aseries of grenade charges up aslope as each Andrew who was always known as Ta ff served in successive wave of enemy reached the top of the hill. the Regiment for three years. Severely wounded in the leg and then in the shoulder, Speakman After undergoing his training at Queens’ paused briefly only to comply with adirect order that he have his Barracks he was posted to the reformed 2nd wounds dressed. With the ammunition almost exhausted and the Battalion in Colchester (1952). He served until fighting hand to hand, rocks and ration tins were hurled at the enemy. 1955 and spent some of his time in the MT At 9pm, amid an inferno of machine gun and mortar fire, Speakman Platoon and was at one stage the CO’s driver. He led afinal charge to clear the crest of the hill and hold it while the was aLance Corporal. remainder of the Company withdrew. He was atrained engineer who worked at An extract of the citation read, “Under the stress and strain of battle, English Electric in Luton and also at British Private Speakman’s outstanding powers of leadership were revealed Aerospace, making parts for guided weapons. He and he so dominated the situation that he inspired his comrades to worked in the latter job for 33 years retiring in stand firm and fight the enemy to astandstill”. It went on to praise his 1989 when he was 55. “great gallantry”. He loved gardening and so set up asmall gardening business which At some stage he transferred to the KOSB. Following his demob he ran for anumber of years but in 2002 he gave that up so that he could in 1953, he later volunteered to serve in the Malayan Scouts and also spend more time with his wife Dawn. served as an Arms Storeman with aSquadron of SAS. He rejoined 1 Ta ff died on 23 April aged 84 and his twin brother Geoff who also KOSB in 1955 and served in Aden, the Radfan and Brunei. served in the Regiment died shortly after on 6July 2018. He did not find celebrity easy to deal with and in 1968 he was RMRiddell discharged from the Army after 22 years’ service. He found it difficult to adjust to civilian life and drifted from job to job, eventually selling all his GEORGE ROSS medals to aLondon dealer for £1500. He lived in South Africa for some George Ross died on the 25th of April 2018 years but returned to the UK and in 2015 became aChelsea Pensioner. aged 95. George completed basic training at Lieutenant Colonel TimColes and Mr John Bowles represented Kinfauns Castle and was initially posted to the Regiment at his funeral service, held on 19 July 2018 at The Royal the 1st Battalion the Ty neside Scottish then Hospital Chelsea. later, when the battalion was broken up, RMRiddell was posted to the 1st Battalion The Black Watch where he joined the Assault Pioneer JOE STACEY Platoon. In mid October 1944 he was WO1 Joseph Stacey, who was known as wounded when the battalion was fighting in Joe, died on Wednesday the 15th August Holland but returned to duty amonth later. 2018 aged 95. Little did he know that He was promoted to Lance Corporal and when he joined the Army in 1940 that he left the army at the end of the war. was starting amilitary dynasty of some On return to civilian life, he took up 115 years continuous Colour Service in his trade as ajoiner and worked as asite The Black Watch. Between himself, his foreman until he retired. He was always proud to have served in the two sons (David and Gordon) and his regiment and attended the WW2 Veterans dinner which was organised grandson (Kevin), all of whom attained by the Association and held in Perth in 2011. the rank of WO1 (RSM) in different In July 2017 George was appointed to the rank of Chevalier in the capacities under the same cap badge Ordre national de la Legion d’ Honneur by the President of the French of The Black Watch (Royal Highland Republic at Liverpool To wn Hall. Regiment). It is very unusual for one George had agreat sense of fun and he was alarger than life family to provide three generations to character who will be missed by all his family and friends. the Army let alone all from one cap badge and all to have reached the RJWPROCTOR rank of WO1 (Regimental Sergeant Major). Iamexceptionally proud of and take great inspiration from those WILLIAM SPEAKMAN VC who have gone before me. My Grandfather was aman to whom I Sergeant Bill Speakman VC, who died looked up to all my life and was ashining example of how to behave and aged 90, won the Victoria Cross on how to live your life. He was very modest but he was avery determined 4November 1951 as aBlack Watch man. If he said he was going to do something then he would do it. He Private Soldier serving with the King’s was very much aman of his word. Own Scottish Borderersduring the My grandfather was 55 years old when Iwas born and Iknow that he Korean War. was very active, running marathon’s up until his late sixties and regularly Born in Altrincham, Cheshire in completing the Oban to Montrose Ultimate Walking Challenge, within September 1927, he left school aged the two week deadline. This he did right up until his eighties. 14 and in August 1945 he joined The He taught me how to swim in Jordanhill College swimming pool Black Watch and served in Germany, and would regularly collect me from Queen Victoria School for an Italy and Hong Kong. He was back afternoon swimming in rivers and lochs whilst my gran would always in Germany when the call came for have an excellent picnic prepared for us. Ihad agreat time growing volunteers to transfer to battalions up with my grandparents and Iwould be regaled with stories about my destined for Korea. When British grandfather being one of the British Army’s top trackers out in Malaya. Forces were mobilised for service in Whilst attached to the Gordon Highlanders he was told that if he Korea in 1950, Speakman volunteered remained with them that he would go far, however his heart was with to serve with the KOSB. the RedHackle and he replied that he wanted to return to his beloved On the morning of 4November 1951, on Hill 217, North West of 2nd Black Watch. Major (Retd) Grenville Irvine-Fortescue (Gordon Yonchon, the defensive positions held by 1KOSB were subjected to Highlanders Secretary) neatly sums up my grandfather’s service with heavy and accurate enemy shell and mortar fire. This continued for most input from my grandmother; of the day and in the failing daylight the enemy launched their assault. 1940 -1946 -The Royal Artillery Speakman as part of BCompany was in the thick of the fighting 1946 -1949 -2nd Battalion The Black Watch and he left his own trench armed with primed grenades to support 5 1949 -1951 -1st Battalion The Seaforth Highlanders Platoon. The Chinese were amere 60 feet away over the crest of the 1951 -1953 -1st Battalion The Gordon Highlanders

24 THE RED HACKLE NOVEMBER 2018 1953 -1956 -2nd Battalion The Black Watch occasions also he showed me where he had taken part in asuccessful 1963 -1967 -1st Battalion Malaysian Rangers ambush when he was serving with the Gordons. 1967 -1972 -LSL Recruiter at ACIO Aberdeen Joe was astrong character who always led by example. His style of Mr Stacey was adraughtsman/toolmaker at the start of the war and leadership and man management as aCompany Sergeant Major in the he was refused enlistment because of his trade and reserved occupation early 1960s was years ahead of its time. He would have fitted in well as a but he eventually signed up in 1940 when he reached the age of Warrant Officer in today’s modern army. He was respected and looked 17 only after crossing the palm of the secretary at his work to put his up to by all who served with him. employment as just alabourer. This allowed him to be called up and he RJWProctor enlisted into the Royal Artillery and at some stage served some time on anti aircraft duties in London during the Blitz. The following deaths have also been recorded: At the end of the war he transferred to the 2nd Battalion The Black Thomas Conn who died on 3June 2018 aged 90. He served in the Watch. An opportunity then arose to be seconded to 1st Battalion The Regiment from 1945-1951. Seaforth Highlanders in Malaya in 1949, an adventure, which he could RabCoull who served in Catterick, Belize, Werl, Kirknewton, not resist. Whilst with the Seaforth, Joe was very seriously injured Northern Ireland, Te rnhill, Hong Kong, Berln, Pirbright, Inverness and when the platoon he was serving in was out on ajungle patrol; they Fallingbostel died on 13 July 2018. He left the Army as aCorporal in were ambushed and several Jocks were killed along with his platoon 2002 and settled in Shrewsbury. commander. He never spoke about this incident. The Seaforth then Bill Cumming who died on 19 February 2018 aged 94. He served in returned to the UK and after his recovery he then remained in India with the 2nd Battalion. Malaya with 1Gordons. It was during this period that he married my James Currivan who died aged 98 on 14 July 2018. He served in North grandmother in November of 1951. The wedding took place at Changi Africa, and Italy during the Second World Warwith the 6th Battalion. and my grandmother remembers anumber of Gordon Highlanders George Ellis died recently and served in Korea with the 1st Battalion. who were at the wedding. Bandmaster Williams played the music To mGardiner of Falkirk died on 18 June 2018 aged 84. He served whilst Band Sgt Dougie Thow gave the bride away and Bill Euan was from 1951-53 and was aKorean Warveteran. his best man. Joseph O’Brien Graham was conscripted on 6April 1944 and served He returned to the 2nd Black Watch, which was stationed at with the 1st Battalion. He died on 16 March 2018. Dortmund in Germany (BAOR) and then moved with the Battalion Brian Greechan died on 20 September 2018. He served in Werl. to British Guiana in 1954 until 1956, returning once more to Queens’ Andrew Hamilton died on 24 September age 83. There will be afuller Barracks. The 2nd Battalion was disbanded in 1956. obituary in the next edition of the RedHackle. He served at Knook Camp as aCSM from 1961 until 1963 before Peter McGaughey died in December 2017. He served in the 2nd embarking to Malaya again to form the Malaysian Rangers. In 1963 he Battalion in Palestine in the period 1937/38. He was wounded during was promoted to Regimental Sergeant Major of the 1st Bn Malaysian the fighting in North Africa and after convalescing in Perth he rejoined Rangers (now the Royal Malay Regiment) based in Ipoh and later the 2nd Battalion for the Chindit campaign. Kuching (Sarawak) where he had agreat influence in the recruitment Brian McGrath died on 3October 2018. of local tribesmen who were outstanding trackers to form this new John McKinnon died aged 68 on 5April 2018. He served in the battalion. 1st Battalion from 1970-1984. In 1967 the family returned to Peterhead whilst he remained in Peter Mitchell died on 13 August 2018 age 85. He was Korean War Malaya for afurther 6months as an instructor at the Jungle Warfare veteran. School. On completion of this post at the end of his secondment and Alan Morrison was aformer National Serviceman who died in April 2018. on completion of his 22 years Regular service, he took up the post of Ian Ortcheson died on 9July 2018. He served in Korea, Kenya and LSL Recruiter at the recruiting office in Aberdeen where he remained Crail and was amember of the London Branch. for 5years. Retiring from Army service in 1972 he took up apost in John Frances Pontin died on 9July 2018 age 94. He served with the Jordanhill College Glasgow. This we think was because he wanted to be 6th Battalion and was amember of the Stoke-on-Trent Branch. closer to his beloved football team Celtic. George Robb died on 21 June 2018 aged 86. He served in the 4th/5th He was agreat sportsman and all rounder in athletics and whilst with Battalion. 1st Gordons played for the battalion football team. James William Robertson served in Korea with the 1st Battalion and He was akind, modest and considerate man, who was agreat example died on 14 March 2018. to many during his service and his family have contributed to the Geoff Robertson died on 6July 2018 age 84. He was amember of Regiment in so many ways over asustained period. London Branch and was Ta ff Robertson’s twin brother. Captain Kevin Stacey Cyril Sherwin died aged 94 on 24 May 2018. He served in North Africa, during the Battle of Monte Cassino and in Greece. Ihad the pleasure of serving with Joe as avery young Lance John (Jack) Spalding who died aged 86, undertook his National Corporal freshly off the NCO’S Cadre and later when he visited the 1st Service with the 1st Battalion. Battalion in Malaysia in 1969 when Iwas ayoung Sergeant. Without Eric Whitehead died on 3June 2018 aged 90. He served in the being condescending he imparted his knowledge to me on numerous Regiment from 1944-1953.

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26 THE RED HACKLE NOVEMBER 2018 Articles

PERTHSHIRE TO PICARDY–PART2

By Mr WYoung year –Arras, 3rd Ypres and Cambrai, in the process of which afurther 561 casualties occurred. Editor’s Note: Readers will recall that in the May 2018 Edition of the 1918 was to prove both traumatic and momentous for the battalion. magazine we published Part 1ofthis article that focused on the 6th In March the Germans launched their “Michael” offensive which hit the (Perthshire) Battalion, The Black Watch whose courage in the fight- battalion hard and while recuperating in a“quiet” part of the line they ing at Bois de Courton in July 1918, earned the award of the Croix de were caught by another attack –“Georgette”. These two battles cost Guerre in October 1918. The author of this article is the grandson of them atotal of 27 officers and 858 other ranks. Major Thomas Edwin Young TD who served with the 6th Battalion. July saw the 1/6th moved south to near Rheims as part of XXII Corps The area in which the 1/6th fought is now part of the Newfoundland which was sent to assist the French. On 19th July the Battalion took its Memorial Park and is amemorial to the Newfoundlanders who lost place in the front line in the Bois de Courton, and on the next day attacked, their lives in the war. It is not difficult to find the trenches that they and in the following ten days saw heavy and costly fighting in the type of occupied and to cross the former “no man’s land” to “Y” Ravine and country which they had not experienced hitherto. However despite the con- beyond, down atrack, the village of Beaumont Hamel. There are ditions and casualties the battalion was ultimately successful and captured three cemeteries in the Park –“Y” Ravine, Hawthorn Ridge No 2and many prisoners, ordnance and three dogs! It is worthwhile recording here, Hunters Cemetery, the latter believed to have been named after the part of battalion orders issued before the battle –“All ranks will be warned Reverend JMHunter, the chaplain to the 1/6th. Tw enty three men that the attack will be made before the eyes of the French Army and it is of the battalion are buried here. One particularly poignant grave, in expected that they will maintain the prestige of the British Army”. This they Hawthorn Ridge No 2, is that of Lance Corporal Andrew Hutcheson achieved if not surpassed. The 1/6th Battalion added afurther battle hon- of Auchterarder, who is commemorated on the same headstone as a our, Battle of Ta rdenois (Bois de Courton) and were awarded the Croix de soldier who died on the opening day. Guerre by the French Army. Only two Scottish Regiments can boast that The 1/6th carried out afurther two spells in the trenches before the honour; The Black Watch and Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. end of the year, losing afurther three Other Ranks. Private William The battalion continued to serve at the front until the end of the war Forbes was the last fatality dying in aCasualty Clearing Station at the but this action above all was their greatest achievement. village of Contay on December 20th 1916. By the turn of the year its My Grandfather left the TA sometime around 1919 but continued strength had fallen to 17 Officers and 428 Other Ranks, or roughly 50% to be involved in the welfare of former servicemen, being one of the of the strength when it landed in France. In the 19 months the battalion founders of the local branch of The Comrades of the Great War, had lost 16 Officers, 52 NCO’s and 246 soldiers killed and approxi- which evolved to become the British Legion, of which he was County mately 20 Officers and 580 Other Ranks wounded. Had this altered Chairman and also anational Vice President. He was also twice elected the composition of the 1/6th –the answer must be an undoubted yes. as Provost of Auchterarder. My father served with the 6/7th battalion as In the period 1914-16, 66% of those killed were either born in Perth or apiper in the inter war years and was one of the signatories of the scroll the county as awhole, in 1917 the figure fell to 32% and in 1918 to 9%. which was presented to the Regiment on the occasion of it being given However, whatever the composition of the Battalion it remained one the Freedom of Auchterarder. which its’ parent county could be extremely proud of and it continued Sources; to be involved in the fighting on the Western Front. The RedHackle –July 1921 edition In 1917, until the middle of March they were involved with training, AHistory of the Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) in the Great War, route marches, railway construction and for relaxation, football match- 1914-18, Volume 2. es. They did not have to be in the line to suffer casualties, as on 11 April, WarDiary 1/6 Black Watch. Naval and Military Press. when some 4miles back, they had 21 men killed and 28 wounded by Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-19, Pt 46 The Black Watch shelling. The battalion took part in three of the major battles that (Royal Highlanders)

Hunter’s Cemetery near Beaumont Hamel was possibly named after the 6th Battalion Padre. The 51st Highland Division statue is in the background.

NOVEMBER 2018 THE RED HACKLE 27 The three headstones in Hunter’s Cemetery; Pte Donald McCallum from Comrie, Sgt David Martin from Coupar Angus and Pte WReader from Yorkshire were all killed on 13 November 1916. The programme for the 6th Battalion Reunion Dinner in 1919. AFAREWELL TO WAR VIETNAM 75 Major Jamie Campbell worked for Save By Major CJK Campbell the Children Fund after he left the Army and was based in Vietnam at the time Author’s Note; US Forces were withdrawn. This picture Iretired from Regimental service in 1972, and after ayear of foreign shows him in Limini in Cyprus. He travel decided to give some time to Save the Children Fund (SCF). In served from 1956 to 1972. reply to an advert Iapplied for ajob as atrainer in avocational capacity in Malaysia. On arrival in London Iwas told the job had gone –would I From arather elderly atlas Isee that Vietnam, once known as Anam, go to Vietnam instead? Iwould. My task would be to act as an adminis- Cambodia and Laos became French possessions in 1883 following a trator to asmall team in the North of South Vietnam, based in Hue and century and more of Jesuit missionary influence. This was after along operating in Qang Tri, the area immediately to its North. succession of wars between China and Vietnam culminating in the lat- Like many Voluntary agencies SCF in those days, because of its ter’s independence in 1428. Like many of the colonies following the relatively small size, was able to give limited funds to any endeavour in “day of infamy” when Japan launched its massive raid on Pearl Harbour support of the Third World, and this factor was readily understood by in 1941, Vietnam fell to the Japanese invasions which followed. its donors. The important principle was to participate in an appropriate After the defeat of Japan in 1945, the French returned to take manner to crises and equally important, to maintain credibility both with up where they had left off in acountry dominated by Buddhists and its donors and the recipients of aid, if matters cut up rough. Thus SCF’s to alesser extent Catholics both permeated by astrong element of commitment to Vietnam consisted of mobile medical teams based in Communists. The Vietnamese under Ho Chi Minh, backed by Russia Hue, Danang, Qui Nhon, with abase in Saigon. It was asmall contri- and China, scored aresounding victory over the French at Dien Bien bution, and there were many other voluntary organisations operating Phu in 1954 after an eight year struggle. The country was divided by an throughout the country also, making contributions. Somewhat unusually, agreement in Geneva into two separate halves -the North under the SCF had incorporated its sister organisations in the provision of its staff, Communist regime, and the South under aVietnamese government bol- and we had amongst us medical staff from the UK, Norway, Australia stered by the United States which it was hoped would cater to the Roman and New Zealand. We,ofcourse, employed local Vietnamese, mainly Catholic and Buddhist elements of the population. This became known for purely administrative tasks, and very good they proved to be. At the as the “Operation of Passage to Freedom” and involved almost amillion time Iarrived in Hue the service provided was relatively simple –doctors Catholics from the North being forced to the South, and almost as many and nurses going to centres of refugees to deal with day to day matters Communists being transported to the North. The line dividing the new of medical complaints –little more than adaily surgery, seen by many countries being drawn at more or less the 17th Parallel. Hue marked the refugees as much asocial gathering as amedical necessity. We had excel- northerly limit of the South and Saigon became the capital. It was never lent relations with the refugees, but, it has to be said, there was always an intended that the arrangement made in Geneva would be apermanent edge to proceedings as it was almost impossible to decide who was friend solution but rather an interim one leading to areview in 1956 when it was and who was foe among those attending the clinics or indeed elsewhere. hoped that unification might take place. Of course, the division of the As the Vietnam war ended some 43 years ago, Ihave been asked to country caused atremendous upheaval from both halves of the country give aresume on its causes, duration, and outcome before relating my to their preferred regime and in the South, the setting up of apuppet own experience in the final days when South Vietnam collapsed before government under nominal Vietnamese control, strongly supported and the all-conquering North. dominated by the United States. Forthis purpose the US chose one Ngo

28 THE RED HACKLE NOVEMBER 2018 Dinh Diem, an influential Catholic as President who paid off any com- this factor, more than any other that led to afrustration that was to end petition there may have been before taking his post. This support had in disastrous cases of war crimes. not been envisaged at Geneva but there was no possible way that the US Interference by asuccession of American Presidents from President could be left out of the equation, as asuccession of US Presidents were Kennedy to Nixon, sometimes on the advice of their military advisers, to decide. This was not the first time that the US had supported the anti- sometimes off their own bats, ensured that policy was often changing. communist elements as it had been pouring vast sums of money towards To bomb or not to bomb, Laos or Cambodia and especially where the the French cause up to 1954. Ho Chi Minh Trail was concerned were cases in point. This trail was a To understand the US point of view towards the Communist threat, series of tracks, paths, and latterly some tarmac road that ran from North we have to go back to the Second World War. The US saw the collapse to South Vietnam down which flowed the North Vietnamese Army, of European colonialism in the FarEast as only adisaster as far as the sometimes heavy equipment and weaponry. Many soldiery walked all the consequences went for their influence in destroying the power of Japan. way down the Ho Chi Minh trail carrying with them all they needed for Their dislike of colonialism harked back to their own history of the 18th perhaps months at atime, then to exist in caves in the forests until needed century when they finally got their independence from Britain. While the for an assault on South Vietnam, or on American/South Vietnamese British fought in Burma, very much on the back foot, America’s prime forces sent to eliminate them. Particularly hated was the use of napalm concern was to support Chiang Kai Chek as the declared anti -communist and other chemicals, used by the Americans to defoliate the heavy forest representative of China. It was alost cause as Mao TseTung was later cover and in the process burn to death any insurgents, taking insufficient to prove conclusively when he and his communist regime became the regard of who was friendly and who was not. The frustration of the US dominant power. This is not, for one moment, to say that the US did not forces became acute and led to indiscipline among several units, finally support the former colonial powers in their struggles with Japan- indeed escalating into such incidents of “fragging” or the killing of commanders without its huge resources of manpower, provision of armaments and who showed poor leadership or rash behaviour while on active opera- spectacular victories especially at sea (and in the UK’s case the provision tions. Senior commanders went to considerable lengths to cover up such of air support, the war would never have been won; but it was very much incidents and some would say they often failed in their duty to advise the with the Communist threat in mind that the US viewed the future. The US Presidents in aconsidered manner of what was happening. Perhaps Korean war only added fuel to their fears, in which the UK and many it was the disbelief that acountry of peasants such as Vietnam could ever other countries of the free world also played their part, and no doubt overcome the power of the US that kept US commanders and indeed subscribed to what became known as “the domino theory”. Presidents, believing in their own omnipotency. Some seemed unaware This theory said in essence that the collapse of one country to com- that the manpower of Ho Chi Minh’s forces was abottomless well and munism, would act as astarter motor to the next, just as dominoes when that body counts of dead Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese Army lined up on their ends would, when given apush start achain reaction were fairly meaningless indicators of how the war was going. ending in the collapse of all. They saw the enormous influence of China Training of the South Vietnamese army (ARVN) was to some extent and Russia on the Vietnamese war efforts and they had every reason asuccess particularly where their marines and airborne troops were to believe their doctrine held good and that Thailand might be next to concerned. The ordinary soldier was less well regarded, anyway by succumb. They were not alone. Australia and South Korea became will- the Americans who by now had enforced conscription on all young ing participants, partly because they were also heavily funded in their American men above school leaving age. This was known as “The efforts by the United States. Britain’s contribution was mainly to pro- Draft”, and was to become the source of bitter controversy as time vide the SASoncovert operations, and in those days the publicity of the went on, mainly as it was seen as favouring the intelligent and those SASwas rather less than today’s and little is known of their contribution who could afford to go to university, who could postpone or even excuse though it was considerable. themselves from service. Meanwhile the poor and often the black To the wider world watching events in the Pacific, “Pax Americana” communities had no choice. This led to lasting quarrels between some seemed to be worthy of every support. President Kennedy had American families; particularly those whose fathers had fought nobly in launched the Peace Corps in 1961 and an idealistic American youth WW2 or in Korea and now looked upon their sons as column dodgers. were ready to give their time and often their expertise, not only to Some young men even de-camped to Canada to avoid the Draft. Vietnam but to other countries of the Third World. The US Army It was perhaps the Te tOffensive of 1968 that shattered any illusions the undertook the training of an army for South Vietnam, to be known as Americans may have had about the progress of the war. Te twas the most the ARVN. Millions of dollars were expended on both rural and urban important annual holiday, asort of Christmas and Easter rolled into one. projects which would clearly benefit the Southern peasants, many of Normally it would have been celebrated by some unspoken truce between whom lived in the forests of South Vietnam. Every effort was made to all Vietnamese but Ho Chi Minh was to use this one to test the will and woo the peasants and to protect them from their communist brothers commitment of the South. He mounted amassive invasion of the South. because, despite the massive diaspora many of the latter remained The Americans declared avictory and in terms of abody count of the in their villages where they had fought against the French. US Army dead they were proved to be correct. Some 55,000 Viet Cong were killed personnel were stationed in remote villages with the set purpose of for the loss of 3,895 Americans and 4954 ARVN troops. It was, however, conducting confidence building measures to gain the full support of the scale and ubiquity of the assault that appalled many. Although the the villagers and the Montagnards, aseparate ethnic group who were lost ground was recovered by the South any sense of avictory was muted. to become firm allies of the new regime. Meanwhile Ho Chi Minh Meanwhile hostility to “The Draft” increased dramatically in the from his base in Hanoi watched these events and decided to bide his United States. Veterans returning from the war were sometimes time before launching any further attempts to reunify Vietnam. He mobbed; demonstrations took place across the country. An American, changed the name of his supporters to Viet Cong from Viet Minh in Norman Morrison burnt himself to death on the lawn of the Pentagon, recognition of their communist identity. Rather less well known were following asimilar death by aBuddhist monk in Saigon. America and the deeds of the president of South Vietnam President Ngo Dinh many Vietnamese were shocked to the core. Perhaps the tipping point Diem. Although from an aristocratic Roman Catholic family, thought came when publicity from Vietnam emerged to show the My Laimas- to be popular with the Southern inhabitants of that persuasion, as well sacre had taken place, when an American unit went berserk in avillage as the Buddhist element, he set about eliminating any opposition he murdering many of the innocent population could find. He is credited with getting rid of powerful criminal gangs President Nixon, deeply discredited by Watergate, was obliged by that had plagued the South but he was unable to prevent the corrup- Congress to withdraw American Forces from Vietnam whilst continu- tion of those he had chosen to join his government. He was not himself ing other support for the South Vietnamese government under the above suspicion of trying to line his pockets at the same time. It was new President, Ngnuen Va nThieu who had succeeded Diem. The not apropitious beginning. change of President brought little beneficial advantage to the South, The US Army initially more or less confined itself to training and as Thieu proved himself as corrupt as his predecessor. Perhaps more specialist military work. They studied Britain’s success story against significant was the fact that he was now the military commander in the communists in Malaya and applied the relevant principles to their Vietnam which factor became particularly apparent when Ho Chi work in Vietnam. There was, however, afundamental difference in Minh launched his last all out assault. The extraction of American the make-up of the two countries. The insurgents in Malaya had been forces took place in 1973, but about 9000 US civilians remained in Chinese communists; those in Vietnam were native to the country. the country to support the Vietnamese government. Amongst these What was more was that there was no way of telling who was afriendly were the Consuls of Hue and Danang who became responsible for the Vietnamese, and who was not,(i.e. the Viet Cong) and it was perhaps safety of voluntary agencies such as our own.

NOVEMBER 2018 THE RED HACKLE 29 VIETNAM MARCH 1975 or so it seemed. By 0700 it was well light and then finally there Iwas told that the team should not go to Qang Tr itoday. There were two of us left to watch aspectacle that in other circumstances was unusual activity among the Viet Cong. Oh well these things would have been highly amusing ;those unused to boats trying to still tend to happen; we will wait for the all clear; perhaps tomor- row astraight course; in one case at least with only one oar. We did row. To morrow there was no change. The next day matters became not have to wait long. self-evident as the refugees started to pass by on their way to Anew American face appeared, almost tiresomely ebullient and somewhere they thought safer. Even the American Consul thought fit. “Who the hell are you?”, he said. We told him. He turned out they had apoint and the following day Iwas told to evacuate the to be the American Consul for Danang. “Get in that helicopter” staff by road to Danang. Both Vietnamese staff and the “Round he said, pointing to an incoming Huey. He followed us with one Eyes” or Europeans, were loaded onto the Land Rovers and off or two senior military figures and we took off for, we thought, the they went, springs groaning. Job done. By this time out of the freighter. Not so. We moved south and landed in an airfield occu- woodwork arrived some nuns, the odd priest, and afew prospec- pied by Vietnamese marines, who had been more or less disarmed tors. The Consul loaded them onto the abundant helicopters and for fear of mutiny. They did not like us, and made no bones about off they went. Did the Consul want abodyguard? “Sure”, he said, it. All Roundeyes were, in their estimation Americans, and, though, “Why not! What’ve you got? Only arather ancient revolver, said ostensibly we were allies, we were viewed as objects of envy. Ihad I. “That’ll do” he replied. He was just being polite; the place was already experienced, back in Hue, having been surrounded by teeming with the CIA. “By the way, that good looking nurse of knife-toting soldiery and the occasion had not been to my liking. yours, I’m hoping to ask her to be my wife. Any ideas?” “Highly Among this bunch, at least one sported an ancient rifle. We and recommended” said I(Ithink he did marry her later, but Inever the other civilian refugees lined up facing this gang in acomic discovered). staged stand-off, like ahopeless spaghetti Western. Iobserved to Eventually we too flew to Danang. This was premature, so I my friend that we were in adangerous position, and unless we had asked to be allowed to return to Hue to collect the medicines. This some arms, there was likely to be an incident as the marines were was granted –Idolove the “Can-do” attitude of the Americans. hoping to rob us. Our American Consul, had already taken himself When we arrived the streets were empty and the occasional shell to the other end of the runway with his senior officers and the one landed not too far away. “You got twenty minutes”, said the pilot. remaining CIA man was clearly briefed to look after us. Within Back in Danang Imet up with my team and the members of the minutes alarge American car drove up, the boot filled with rifles, other team that had been working in Danang. The city looked like two of which were given to us. The marines gave up any plans to an ant-heap with bodies moving in all directions, apparently with- rob us and the refugees nodded their approval. Ivaguely wondered out purpose but most were seeking the safest place of refuge wher- what our bosses in London would have made of their voluntary ever that might be. We were privileged “Round Eyes” somewhat to agency staff carrying weapons. our embarrassment and were gathered in to alarge barn to await Suddenly, our CIA friend announced the arrival of the final evacuation. Iwas approached by aSeventh Day Adventist and was plane to leave Danang and what, he almost added, are you going to asked to take over asmall clinic because “The Lord had told us to do about it? The plane could cater for 75 passengers. Well, there go.”- and they did not want to leave aVietnamese in charge. The must have been about 150 refugees, including ourselves at this irony of the request seemed to have escaped him. The clinic lay end of the runway, so we said half of them should go to the other some few kilometres back up the road to Hue from where at least end. Thus, whichever end of the runway the plane ended up; there one Division of the communists was now on the move. Iarrived to should be no fighting to get aboard. Off trouped afair proportion find the last members of the staff being paid off and politely refus- of the refugees to the other end and as they left we were told to ing to stay on. Icould not blame them; it was now “sauve qui peut” follow them by the CIA man, who was clearly receiving instructions (run for your life). Iwas handed the main office in which aradio from the Consul. The plane did finally end up at the other end of had been installed and to my relief an American voice answered my the runway and our hopes were in vain, as fighting broke out as we call. Iasked how many patients Iwas supposed to be looking after. arrived. We had underestimated the number of refugees involved, The figure was uncertain but Iwas promised that adoctor would not to mention the marines who had acquired atruck in anticipa- shortly arrive. In ashort time aNative American doctor arrived tion of just such an event unfolding and had arrived on the scene and checked up on the patients and told me, to my relief, that he before us. In the thick of the fight was the Consul himself, trying to had sent all of them home. fling unscheduled passengers off the plane? Almost as we arrived, On looking back at this moment in my life, Iwas puzzled by, he himself fell off the top steps, and landed at our feet, lying down what seemed to be an anomaly in the military situation. Rockets and gasping for breath. We went up to him and asked what, if were being fired overhead as we moved through the dark but Iam anything, he wanted us to do. “Get the plane off the ground,” was fairly certain that they were not military ones but rather of the type the reply. So we did, by signalling the pilot to take off, as those fired on Guy Fawkes night. Ridiculous as it may seem under the still fighting to get aboard gave up the unequal struggle and leapt circumstances, Ihave since concluded that they were being fired by for the ground. The shrug of the pilot’s shoulders said it all, as he Viet Cong participants to cause alarm and despondency among the revved his engines and took off. civil population without doing any actual damage. The Viet Cong That left afairly small number of hopefuls to cater to. Ajeep had mixed freely with the citizens of Danang all along after all – drove up and the Consul told us to get aboard, as we turned in indeed it was hard if not impossible, to identify them. If scaring the the direction of Danang. Arush of refugees followed but Isaid in population was their aim, they certainly succeeded on the back of all innocence that we were probably going to return to Danang, the very real threat now marching down the road towards us. whereupon the would be passengers drew hastily away. Well where By now Ifelt abit surplus to requirements and wondered if Iwas else could we go without air transport? We moved off, now reduced meant to do aGeneral Gordon and face the hordes with amonocle in numbers to the Consul, some very senior Vietnamese army and walking stick. Idid not fancy the role. Happily the decision was officers,(almost certainly General Truong himself) and the CIA made for me as the American voice returned to say “Hey Limey, men. We passed aheadquarters, busily preparing for surrender, you better get out of there, ‘cause we are not coming to fetch you.” formerly the base of one of the senior officers now fleeing with us Alittle matter of no transport Isaid. Shortly after, amember of my and drove to aquiet sector of the airfield, where yet another Huey team turned up, and we made off back into Danang. landed. This time we all piled in and took off bound –wefondly There must have been about ahundred people milling about hoped -for the freighter still anchored in the bay. Not so. We flew in the building that abutted to the shore, which had been chosen back to Danang to the Naval Base. as an evacuation centre. Most were “Round Eyes”, including our At this point my companion and Irather lost faith in the Consul. two teams, others were Vietnamese deemed to be at risk and the He seemed morose and remote and did not welcome questions, remainder those whose work is to attend the poor mainly from the bundling himself into aball and apparently going to sleep. The sen- remoter areas of the country. Aself appointed pianist banged out ior officers looked grave and shifty; as well they might in the light honky-tonk music and arather false bonhomie pervaded most con- of the military collapse. The navy gave us some tea and remained versations. Around midnight people began to filter out of the build- calm, then night overtook us all. At 2000 hrs the naval ratings ing in ones and twos destined for afreighter said to be anchored present stood up from their desks, picked up their weapons, filed quite far out in the bay. All was done in good order and cheerfully, outside the building, and fired –atnothing –into the darkness.

30 THE RED HACKLE NOVEMBER 2018 What madness was this? It seemed almost laughable. We did not process the American Consulate in Danang had become trapped in have long to find out. apincer movement. This could have lead to an international inci- Suddenly the base came under artillery fire, and aloud voice dent of grave importance as far as prestige was concerned. cried out “Follow me and run.” All of us, Consul, senior officers Here is how Frank Snepp, asenior CIA operative describes the and others ran for our lives and were guided into underground scene over MR1: (i.e. the Danang area) in the last days of March. shelters. By now, we were becoming inclined to think that the “I saw General Truong’s army literally racing into the surf off leadership had gone mad. The shelling stopped, and the same voice Danang. They were throwing their arms away and swimming for cried out again “Follow me” and off again we went, this time down safety. It was total utter panic. Thousands of soldiers were in the slope of the wharf to board apatrol boat. The engines had not the surf...... Within amatter of three or four days the North been started, the Consul threw himself into abunk and refused all Vietnamese were able to slice the country in two just north of Nha comment, while we found ourselves seats and tried to make sense Tr ang.” Snepp was later to accuse the US Ambassador of panicking of the last few minutes. and having no plan to evacuate the Vietnamese who had helped the The engines started, we put out to sea, and around midnight Americans. During shameful scenes people were abandoned and a boarded awarship for the journey back to Camh Ranh bay. What a lasting image for many people is of helicopters landing on the roof miracle though, or so it appeared. of the U.S. Embassy in Saigon. It took along time to understand what had actually happened Our exit plan had been made on the hoof. The move back to the and it was not edifying. Naval Base was the only course open with any chance of success of Records show that the primary cause of the collapse of the South fleeing the country. The boats were there but so were the refugees Vietnamese was the withdrawal of both the airborne and marine and they had to be prevented from swamping boats chosen to put forces on the orders of General Thieu from the Northern Provinces to sea. Hence the naval ratings firing into the darkness to allow around Hue to protect Saigon. This had been resisted by General the communists to identify the whereabouts of the Consul; hence Tr uong who was in charge of those provinces on the grounds of the artillery fire to scatter the refugees, hence our dive for cover; loss of morale which almost instantly and inevitably, followed. hence our putting to sea immediately the shelling stopped. Not a From that moment it was only amatter of time for disaster to be very honourable exit by any standards. complete. Iconsider it anot unreasonable question to ask when the col- The Consul, the Army Officers, had been in contact with the lusion between the North Vietnamese and the Americans began? North Vietnamese for several days, perhaps even from the begin- Wasitdays, weeks or months before the final exit? Were the South ning. Resistance was spasmodic and ineffectual in this sector and Vietnamese party to the agreement? It seems highly unlikely. Was the Americans had probably bargained with the communists not this the only face-saving way to end the war which the Americans to do any more than conduct afairly steady advance in return for could see no chance of winning? After all, no American troops were some light opposition. The advance was however swift and in the involved in this overwhelming defeat of the South by the North. BLACK WATCH AVIATORS

By Captain IMAdams-Cairns

Editor’s Note: Having edited twenty eight editions of the RedHackle Magazine, Isometimes wonder where my next set of articles will come from and Iamenormously grateful to people who volunteer new infor- mation. Iain Adams-Cairns who served in the Regiment was seconded to the AACand retired from Regular Army Service in 1979 but flew with the AAC(Volunteers) until 2005. He has researched and written a new and interesting aspect of our Regimental history that has not previ- ously been recorded.

This article was written before the news that Major James Arbuthnott had died.

Iwas already aware that there were afew members of the Regiment who, like me, had volunteered to become pilots in the Army Air Corps (e.g. James Arbuthnott, David Fortune, Iain Thomson and Nigel Laughton) but was idly wondering if there had been many others. Ithought naively that it would take only afew moments to find out from the Regimental network. This worked wonders up to apoint but the Regiment did not have specific records and when Iwent beyond the Regiment, the dreaded ‘data protection monkey’ raised its ugly head. In the course of another project at the time, Iwas researching the Royal Aero Club and happened upon some Black Watch individuals who obtained Royal Aero Club Certificates as early as 1912. Most early military pilots were trained by members of the Royal Aero Club and many became members. By the end of the First World War, more than 6,300 military pilots had taken Royal Aero Club’s Aviator’s Certificates. The Royal Flying Corps (RFC), which was part of the Army, was only established by Royal Warrant on 13th April 1912 and ceased to exist when the RFC was amalgamated with the Royal Naval Air Service to become the Royal Air Force on 1st April 1918. With this backdrop, I decided I’d have to go right back to the early days of military aviation. Luckily, the airhistory website (see below) has nearly 320,000 separate lines of data. I’ve done my best to distil the 320,000 down to the Black Watch individuals, including those listed as Royal Highlanders and Fife and Forfar Yeomanry, who became involved in early military aviation, even if not all of Lieutenant Iain Adams-Cairns during his flying training, learning to become the Fife and Forfar Yeomanry units later became part of The Black Watch. one of those magnificent men in their flying machines.

NOVEMBER 2018 THE RED HACKLE 31 Unlike the RAFand the Royal Navy, the Army has not restricted pilot- Lt Andrew (‘Tosh’) Bushby ing to officers only and this is still the case today. Subject to the inevitable James Arbuthnott confessed to me recently that he only managed human error on my part and the acknowledged possibility of errors on the to be accepted for pilot training by using some typical Black Watch airhistory website, I’ve compiled an ‘RFC and RAF’ list which comprises initiative. He failed his initial medical because he was deaf in one ear the names of 318 all ranks from the wider Regiment, who served as aircrew but re-applied. He managed to pass the subsequent medical using the and ground crew with aviation units in the early days of military aviation. simple expedient of switching the headphones round half way through The list contains some interesting individuals. Private Edward Gilchrist, the audiogram hearing test so that all of the ‘beeps’ he was supposed to acting as an Air Gunner, was killed on arecce mission in July 1917. Cpl be able to hear were directed to his good ear. CSturrock, also acting as an Air Gunner, was wounded on arecce in Members of 1BWwho served in Hong Kong in the early 70s will May 1917 and ended up as aPoW in Karlsruhe in Germany. Lieutenant recall that David Fortune, who sadly died in 2016, was working Amyas Borton, CB, CMG, DSO, AFC was wounded in France in June there as acivvy and spent many hours in the Officers’ Mess when 1915 and subsequently rose to become an Air Vice-Marshall in the RAF! he wasn’t flying Alouette helicopters for the Royal Hong Kong In asecond list, I’ve detailed the seven Black Watch individuals who Auxiliary Air Force. later served with The Glider Pilot Regiment. Iain Thomson transferred to the Army Air Corps and using his BW These brave individuals acted as glider pilots and if they survived the infantry background, commanded an aviation battlegroup before being landings, often at night, then acted as infantrymen with the units they promoted to Brigadier and becoming Director of Army Aviation. He is had just landed (as an aviator myself, Iconsider the glider landings so currently an expat working in the security industry in Kenya. close to Pegasus Bridge during the Normandy landings to rank with any Nigel Laughton’s flying career was not helped by injuring his back of the greatest feats of airmanship). badly in aheavy landing accident while still under instruction on the One of these individuals, Sergeant Maurice (‘Jock’) Bramah, who was pilot’s course. He soldiered on, including returning to 1BWfor awhile, awarded the Croix de Guerre, initially survived the Normandy landings until the pain and the necessity for major back surgery effectively cur- only to be caught in asubsequent ambush during which he was shot tailed his flying career. in the lung and ended up in acoma. The Germans left him for dead Russell Ross-Smith was Gazelle Flight Commander under Iain Thomson but he was sheltered by friendly French civilians before being reunited at Wattisham in Suffolk. When he flew the then CO of 1BW, Andrew Ogilvy- with British troops amonth later. He also survived Operation Market Wedderburn on arecce when 1BWwere at Queen Elizabeth Barracks in Garden (the landings at Arnhem in September 1944) only to die in a Pirbright, he received aparking ticket from RSM Keith for his pains! climbing accident whilst on leave in Scotland. John Stupart and To sh Bushby still fly helicopters professionally. In The third list details the more recent Black Watch aviators which may John Stupart’s case, he flies an air ambulance in Scotland and has met be of more interest to current readers of the RedHackle (ranks shown afew Black Watch veterans while out on jobs and afew have visited the are as they started the pilot’s course): base when he’s been at Perth. Capt James Arbuthnott Formypart, Istill fly helicopters in aprivate capacity. When 1BW Lt David Fortune were stationed at Ballykinler in Northern Ireland in 1977 and Iwas Lt Iain Adams-Cairns flying helicopters from an Army Air Corps base at Long Kesh, Iflew a Lt Iain Thomson large number of the officers in the Battalion at various times. On one Lt Nigel Laughton occasion Ieven flew four Black Watch officers together in aGazelle Capt Russell Ross-Smith helicopter, even if it was difficult to hear the radio because of all the Cpl John Stupart banter over the intercom! BLACK WATCH PERSONNEL WHO FLEW WITH THE ARMY AIR CORPS SINCE 1957 (sources: Museum of ARMY FLYING and Iain Adams-Cairns)

SURNAME FORENAMES RANK DofB SERVICE NO SERVICE HISTORY

Arbuthnott James Francis Capt 27.04.1940 465722 Course 195 (03 July 1967-15 March 1968)

Fortune David Victor Lt 18.11.1946 479795 Course 204 (08 July 1968-21 March 1969. Died 27 June 2016

Adams-Cairns Iain Michael Lt 30.08.1951 493522 Course 244 (18 August 1975-28 May 1976)

Thomson Iain Robert Lt 20.02.1958 504514 Course 280 (29 March 1982-03 February 1983)

Laughton Nigel Ewan Felix Lt 12.10.1965 523380 Course 327 (02 April 1990-07 December 1990)

Ross-Smith Russell Alexander Capt 07.11.1965 524776 Course 336 (10 June 1991-14 February 1992)

Stupart John Daly Cpl 04.10.1970 Course 374(17 December 1996-20 March 1998) Left Army in 2015 and flies civilian helicopters

Bushby Andrew Ross Lt 17.07.1971 544294 Course APC 32 (17 November 1999-23 March Pearson (Tosh) 2001) Now flies A109s and twin Squirrels for Atlas Helicopters

Afternote: during the production of the lists I’ve mentioned, Iobtained The lists are contained in asingle Word file now held by the considerable help from The RAFMuseum at Hendon; Dr Marjolijn Museum. If anyone wants acopy please contact Lt Col Roddy Verbrugge MA, archivist at The Museum of Army Flying at Middle Riddell at [email protected] or email me: Wallop; The Royal Aero Club and an awesome amount of detail [email protected]. Forthose who want greater detail, I’d compiled by the remarkable Andrew Pentland on the website: www. recommend www.airhistory.org.uk airhistory.org.uk). To all of them, I’m extremely grateful. Any errors or If anyone finds errors or omissions in the lists, please inform me or omissions in the lists I’ve produced are mine alone. Lt Col Roddy Riddell.

32 THE RED HACKLE NOVEMBER 2018 AGRAVE APART

By Lieutenant Colonel RMRiddell and Mr RWhitfield ‘…..Born at Valparaiso Chile the 12th October 1898…..’ This birthplace, and his early childhood in alarge and lively Spanish Editor’s Note: Major James Arbuthnott sent me an email from speaking family was due to his father David, originally from Dick Whitfield, anephew of 2nd Lieutenant David Chalmers Burns Brechin, working for the Banco de Chile in Valparaiso. His mother, who was killed on 30 September 2018 whilst serving with the 8th Clara, nee Swinburne, was of Basque origin. After the devastating Battalion The Black Watch (Royal Highlanders). Chilean earthquake of 1906, the family moved to London. After schooling and Sandhurst, in December 1917 he was gazetted to David Burns was killed during what is described in the Wauchope The Black Watch, largely recruited in his father’s county, Angus. history as “The Advance to Victory”. The 8th Battalion, as part of David left for the front in July 1918, aged 19, then to join the 8th the 9th Scottish Division, was East of Ypres and were to take part Battalion. His last letter reads ‘In the thick of it, but Ifeel quite fit in an attack by the Second Army, in conjunction with the Belgian and confident. Everything going splendidly. Heaps of love to all’. Army. Zero hour was planned for 5.30 am on 28 September and the The CWGC website records his burial place as “Slypskapelle Plot initial objective was the Bellewarde Ridge. of Honour”. On 30 September this year, the centenary of David’s David’s diary recorded the following: death, aday of commemoration was held by the local commune and 26th September 1918 –Preparation for stunt. Went to Holy the Moorslede Historical Association, and the family were invited. Communion and Confession two days ago. Iamready for anything. 30 members of the family, with ages ranging from 5to87, travelled “Give us strength, OLord!” out for the day, which comprised areception in the To wn Hall, 28th September 1918 –“Over the top at 5.30 am. Show went like amagnificent lunch, and aguided walk following the line of the clockwork. To ns of Jerrys with wind up, many prisoners. Advance battle, with stops for refreshment, music and camaraderie, to the of 8- 10 Kilos” spot near Slyps Wood where David fell. The wood is now restored 29th September 1918 –Show continues. Roulers today’s objec- to pasture, but an oak was planted soon after the Armistice and, tive. RFAlying just behind in open fields” as amagnificent 100 year old tree, now marks the spot. Many local David was killed the next day and letters from his Company people together with avisiting French choir joined the walk, which Commander and Commanding Officer explained the circumstances; culminated in aservice of commemoration at the Plot of Honour, “He was killed on September 30th near Slyps Wood, not far to attended by alocal piper, and was followed by further refreshment the East of Slypskapelle, about eight miles east and slightly south of provided by the Historical Association in anearby hostelry. They Ypres. He was hit by abullet, probably from amachine gun (whilst) had also brewed aspecial commemorative beer for the day, with leading his men, and died within seconds without speaking. He delightful personalized labels showing the picture of David Burns was buried by aparty of our own men under the direction of Rev outside the tent. Agreat beer but at 8% was not to be trifled with! Kennedy the Roman Catholic Chaplain attached to 7th Seaforths. It was atruly memorable occasion. Probably he will communicate with you. The grave was marked and map reference taken: the pioneers are making across to put over it. Iwas most deeply grieved to hear the news, and Ithink that Ican imagine what it must mean to you. Ihave lost my best comrade and most promising Officer.” The Commanding Officer also wrote to his parents; “I very much regret that up until now it has not been possible for me to write to you and tell you how deeply all Officers of the Battalion feel for you in the great loss you have sustained by the death in action of your boy Lt.D.C. Burns. Be really assured we do feel for you. We know how we miss his cheery presence and in some measure that helps us to understand the loss you have sustained. Until he was killed by rifle or Machine Gun Fire he lead his platoon right gallantly -wewere advancing through awood and he had been hit in the leg. That wound he had just evidently bandaged up when he was hit in the head. Idonot think he suffered any pain from the last wound and his spirit of determined leadership overcame what he felt of the first. His work with the Battalion was of first rate order, and Ican personally assure you his powers of command and leadership were reflected in his platoon which was one of the best, and while any of his lads are with it, your lad’s memory will not be forgotten in the platoon. They have done well since your boy fell and Iknow how much of their success rests on what he taught them and how he led them. He is buried in alittle clearing by the wood where he fell. Assuring you again of our sympathy Iam, Yours truly. WFrench (Lt Col)” After the war, David’s body was not moved to aCommonwealth WarGraves Cemetery, but reburied close to the Catholic church in Slypskapelle, which is asmall village within the commune of the nearby Moorslede. His parents, David and Clara Burns, wanted him to remain there; they visited Slypskapelle and paid for ahead- stone in the form of aCeltic cross to be sculpted and raised. This is the monument that remains today, and which has been adopted as the village war memorial. The inscription on the horizontal stone slab reads in Flemish: ‘Pray for the soul of D.C.Burns 2nd Lt. Royal Highland Regiment “The Black Watch” Killed in action near this place 30th Sept. 1918 dur- ing the advance of the victorious armies restoring liberty to Belgium’ But the inscription in English on the vertical base of the Celtic cross gives an unusual fact: 2nd Lieutenant David Burns (8th Black Watch) pictured outside atent.

NOVEMBER 2018 THE RED HACKLE 33 ABelgian piper plays during the day of commemoration on 30 September 2018.

The grave of 2nd Lieutenant David Chalmers Burns in the Slypskapelle Plot The beer brewed in remembrance of 2nd Lieutenant DC Burns was agreat of Honour. beer but at 8% was not to be trifled with.

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34 THE RED HACKLE NOVEMBER 2018 The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland

COMMANDING OFFICER’S FOREWORD ready to be launched wherever NATO dictates! The year will be both It seems almost unbelievable that six months have already elapsed since challenging and fulfilling in equal measure. the last edition of the RedHackle! As ever, the battalion has been at So, the battalion are well. We have shown again that our ability to per- full throttle, both abroad and at home, and has enjoyed much success form on operations to the highest of standards remains. Furthermore, along the way. there is an array of young talent in the battalion that is inspiring and In late July our latest tour to Iraq, where we had been protecting a bodes extremely well for the battalion’s future. Iremain exceptionally 4000 man coalition airbase and training the Iraqi Border Guard Force, proud to serve alongside such men and women. concluded. As ever, the Jocks, NCOs and officers performed superbly, enhancing not only the reputation of Scottish soldiers but also of the British Army. In total over 1200 members of the Iraqi Border Guard Force were trained and the Security Force, found by the A(Grenadier) Company Group, kept astrategic airbase safe for six months without incident. Not long after Iwrote the foreword for the May edition of the RedHackle the battalion was also tasked with packing up all UK equipment in Al Asad Airbase and returning it to the UK. Ledby the indomitable Quartermaster (Technical), Iain Houston, and the Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant (Technical), WO2 Carlisle, this was successfully achieved with only asmall number of vehicles and pallets left behind for aLogistic Enabler Surge Te am to redeploy on Defence’s behalf. The battalion left Iraq with plaudits from across the coalition and asense of real achievement for we have contributed towards the defeat of Da’esh and helped Iraq retake control of its sovereign territory. Pleasingly there are many reasons to be cautiously optimistic for the future of Iraq. Despite the success of the nationalist party in the Iraqi elections, power will inevitably be shared between a triumvirate of power bases, much as it has been over the last five years. Maj RColquhoun leads the guard and the Colour Party through Dunfermline The country is tired of conflict and remains united in their conviction to on Saturday the 15th of September. ensure Iraq never allows an organisation such as Da’esh to re-emerge. While that political and military determination prevails the long term prognosis for Iraq remains positive. Regrouping the battalion under one roof after ten months of it being split between the UK and Iraq has been arelief. We formally closed the Operation SHADER chapter only afew days ago with amedals parade in Fort George, at which our Royal Colonel took the salute and presented many with their operational service medals. Joined by our outgoing Deputy Colonel, Brigadier Alistair Aitken and his successor, Brigadier Robin Lindsay, it was afitting end to the Iraq chapter and a proud occasion for the battalion and its families. As part of our regrouping process the battalion has also undertaken afour day tour of our traditional recruiting areas, conducting marches in Forfar, Dunfermline and Perth as well as aparade through the cen- tre of Inverness. All the parades were marvellous, reconnecting with our communities and providing us with an opportunity to showcase some of the excellent equipment at our disposal today. Concurrently, we have sent soldiers far and wide playing sport, conducting adventure training and studying former conflicts. The Training Officer led fifteen Snipers leading the homecoming parade through Dunfermline. soldiers cycling the North Coast 500 route in five days, Lt To mThorpe walked the length of the GR20 route in Corsica with twenty five others THE OFFICERS’ MESS and Capt Liam Herbert took twenty five soldiers around Belgium and President of The Mess Committee: Major RobColquhoun France following the footsteps of 5BWand studying Panzer Grenadier Mess Secretary: Captain James Farrall tactics of the Second World War. Perhaps the most arduous of all has been the golf trip to Spain where the battalion’s golf team managed to The last six months have seen the Mess spread to the four winds, squeeze in five rounds of golf in seven days –exhausting stuff! or more specifically two winds. With the majority of the Mess deployed And so to the future. Next year we will start preparing in earnest to to Iraq, the remainder under the outgoing PMC Major Curson have be the UK’s contribution to NATO’s Very High Readiness Joint Ta sk held the Fort! Force and with that in mind we have recently turned our attention This has been afairly quiet social period but the Mess came back to honing our conventional warfighting skills. Specialist and Support together for apost tour party. The spectacular Fort George did not fail Weapon cadres have commenced and the Rifle Companies are start- to provide the setting, with the gates of the Sally Port thrown open, a ing to dust off their light mechanised skills and get back into the swing BBQ concocted by the culinary experts of the Catering Platoon was the of light role soldiering. After so long focused on the Middle East and perfect tonic to bring the Mess back together. There was no rest for counter insurgency operations it is awelcome change. As aresult, the Committee as it was all hands to the pump to put on the Summer 2019 is action packed. A(Grenadier) Company and BCompany will (Autumn) Ball. The Commanding Officer was keen to utilise more head off to train and act as enemy for 2YORKS in early 2019 and of the Fort and again showcase what it has to offer. The Committee the Battalion HQ will depart to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to accepted the challenge and began what can only be described as a perfect its planning ability. Virtual training in Germany, field firing 60 minute make over, that lasted asolid week. Numerous trips to exercises and aperiod as the United Kingdom Standby Battalion then Homebase and B&Q, crash courses on carpentry and table setting follow before the battalion is put through its certification exercise on culminated in afantastic party where the Mess and their guests dined Salisbury Plain in late summer, the final act before the UK declares us under the archways of the Mess, and danced in asmaller marquee

NOVEMBER 2018 THE RED HACKLE 35 attached to the side. Predinner drinks were held in the grounds sur- rounding the Grand Magazine, amini band from the Pipes and Drums played aset and aband also threw together afun disco and some reeling for good measure –all ensured we had afantastic evening. As we move into the winter months we are sure Mess life will con- tinue at apace. We are looking forward to aLadies’ Dinner Night, a Fathers’ St Andrews Dinner Night and hopefully some good showing at the Black Watch Association Gathering Dinner in October and the Ball later in December. There has been aturnover in the Mess as is always the case. We thank Maj LeeCurson for his time as OC BCoy, and PMC. We say farewell and thank you to Major LeeCurson, Captains Doughty, Voce Russell, Treasure, Donovan and Young who leave us on postings and promotion. We also say farewell to Major Gary Wallace, our stalwart of aQuartermaster who is posted to 2SCOTS at Glencorse and Major Jim Reid who is off to Glasgow to manage our careers!! Major RobSmith heads south of the border with his family and we wish them well. Our final goodbye is to our Padre, Major Stewart MacKay who leaves us and The Royal Colonel meets from (left to right) LCpl Hall, Pte Norris, the Army after along and full career. Pte Mohammed, Pte Spring. As some depart, others arrive. We welcome Messrs Atkinson-Clark, Roberti and Haigh who all take up posts as Platoon Commanders. Captain Andy Muirhead takes over as our engineer, keeping our com- plex fleet of vehicles on the road; his wife Becky has joined him on the Patch. Major Stu Cochrane takes over as Quartermaster. Major Dave Robertson joins us as he takes over Charlie (Fire Support) Company, reducing his commute considerably from Andover as he can now almost see Ingrid in their home in Fortrose from his office. We welcome and congratulate Captain Kev Stacey on his commission and look forward to all the experience he will bring to the role of Tr aining Officer. Major Finlay Anderson joins us with Lauren, as he takes over Delta (Light) Company. We also welcome back to the Battalion two of the Colquhoun brothers, Nick as the Battalion Second-in-Command and RobasOC Bravo Company, with their wives Rachel and Shuna in tow. Our final welcome is to William (born in June), son of Captain Will Kelly and his wife Moira –Congratulations!

The Royal Colonel shares ajoke with one of the soldiers on parade.

The Royal Colonel accompanied by Major Nick Colquhoun walks to the medals parade. In the background are Brigadier Robin Lindsay (right)and Brigadier General Bizeul, Deputy Commander 1st (UK) Division. Captain Coles and Mr Fortune representing the Battalion and Regiment at the Highland and Lowland Brigades Clay Pigeon Shooting Competition.

The Royal Colonel presents the Operational Service Medal, Iraq and Syria to The Operational Service Medal, Iraq and Syria. soldiers on parade.

36 THE RED HACKLE NOVEMBER 2018 WARRANT OFFICERS’ AND SERGEANTS’ MESS Presiding Member: Warrant Officer Class 1(RSM) KJS Stacey Warrant Officer Class 1(RSM) KJ Pedder (June 2018- Present) President of the Mess Committee: Warrant Officer Class 2(CSM) McCready Warrant Officer Class 2(CSM) Ferrier (July 2018- Present)

This has been aperiod of transition for the Mess with many members including the RSM still deployed on OP SHADER 6. This has meant the social life in the Mess has taken aback seat. Whilst deployed the RSM, WO2’s Ferrier and Wilson attended a fortnightly AL ASAD AIR BASE Senior Warrant Officers working group/breakfast to discuss the issues within the base and put the world to rights with fellow coalition Warrant Officers from the USMC, US Army, Denmark, France and Norway; not to let the language or cultural barriers get in the way the RSM was keen to share his humour and STRAVA (a fitness app) exploits with our coalition friends, often lead- ing to confused looks or aphysical challenge of some sort!! Congratulations must go to WO2 Nichol on promotion where he will assume the role of the Families Warrant Officer. CSgts Passifull, Runciman and Smith have also been promoted and we welcome Sgts Catto, Connor, Rabona, Gordon, Beattie and Lowe into the Mess. WO2s Taylor and Currie with the former WO1 (RSM) now Capt Stacey. We have seen many key and popular Mess stalwarts depart for pas- ture new or make the transition to civilian life, our own WO2 Dave ALPHA (GRENADIER) COMPANY –SECURITY FORCE Ta ylor has made the jump and we wish him all the best in his future (SECFOR) to Al Asad Air Base (Op SHADER 6) endeavours. Sgt Andy Ritchie has departed to shape future Jocks at Officer Commanding: Major OGWBeard ITC along with WO2 Danny Buist. WO2 (RQMS) Hannah moves on Second-in-Command: Captain JA Young/Lt MBGray promotion to WO1 (RSM) of Dundee UOTC along with CSgt Blake Executive Officer (XO): Captain COT Ritchie who will join him as his golf partner. WO2 John Harding departed (Royal Dragoon Guards) for 2Royal Irish and Sgt Ellis joined the Specialist Infantry Battalion Company Sergeant Major: Warrant Officer Class 2Wilson (SPIB) at 1SCOTS. Company Quartermaster Sergeant: Colour Sergeant McMaster On behalf of the Mess Iwould like to extend awarm welcome to OC 1Platoon: Lieutenant MB Gray WO1 RSM KJ Pedder, WO2 (RQMS) Aldo Duncan who has arrived Platoon Sergeant: Sergeant Gray as RQMS (M), along with WO2 Dougie Dempster as the Mortar 2IC, OC 2Platoon: Lieutenant TFortune WO2 (RAWO) Al O’Neil and the new SSASSgt John Thompson. Platoon Sergeant: Sergeant McFadden CSgt Arnold has returned from ITC and will take over as CQMS in OC 3Platoon: Lieutenant TThorpe DCompany. Platoon Sergeant: Sergeant Wells Congratulations go to Sgt Morrison and Becca on the birth of their son Bear, CSgt Smith and Pamela on the birth of their son Arthur The second half of the Company’s deployment to Iraq, as part of Jackson and to WO2 Danny Buist and SSgt Leanne Buist on the birth Op SHADER 6, certainly maintained the pace of the first. of To rrun. Captain Young moved from Company Second-in-Command to The Mess dined out WO1 (RSM) KJS Stacey on his promotion to Battalion HQ, covering for Captain Farrall in the Anti-Te rrorism Captain. Also, dined out on completion of 24 years’ service was WO2 Force Protection Office, due to Captain Farrall returning home on Davie Ta ylor. compassionate grounds. In turn, Lt Gray, having recently returned We wish them both success as they depart knowing they are welcome from an education course in Cyprus, moved into the SECFOR Second- to return at any time. in-Command position. With the arrival of both Captain Ritchie and WO1 KJ Pedder was dined into the Mess on the 22nd of September, Sergeant O’Gorman in Theatre, Lt Fortune and LCpl Mackie could Mess members were joined for the evening by their wives and partners hand over their responsibilities as XO and Te ch Sergeant respectively. as we welcomed the new RSM and Joanne his wife. Special praise must Poor Captain Ritchie, expecting awarm, sunny and quiet deployment be afforded to WO2 Jupp and Sgt Powell for the excellent food pro- very quickly realised that he was the most desired man in SECFOR vided at both functions. (being the one whose job it was to make things happen) and soon found The Mess will now reconvene as agroup and in asocial sense, we himself rushed off his feet. look forward to the forthcoming KAPE tour in traditional Regimental Captain Young continued to attend the weekly Key Leader engage- Recruiting areas and hope to see many former Mess members lining the ments, now in the company of Lt Thorpe and continued to enjoy the streets and the new Mess Committee being nominated. food they were served there. Lt Fortune, now finding himself with a greater amount of free time, threw himself into the gym; this culminat- ed in his successfully competing in the 1000 lbs challenge alongside Cpl Salter towards the end of the tour. Lt Gray guided his team in securing and retrieving acrashed drone from the surrounding desert, despite his suggestion to “just use the gunships to blow the thing up”. The Jocks continued to fulfil their SECFOR duties to ahigh stand- ard, including the usual patrols, sentry duty and checkpoint duties. Their spare time was filled with training in the gym, FIFAtournaments, games of Risk (no one seems to know if Pte Wagner ever actually left the Kufen coffee shop or not), or, in the case of Ptes Newbury and Robertson, informing the Danes and Americans within SECFOR why Scotland is the greatest country in the world. Pte Wilson kept himself preoccupied trying to hunt down and capture any snakes within the base and the CQ’s very own “Chuckle Brothers”, Ptes Allan and McPhee, kept everyone laughing with their jokes and antics. The World Cup tournament provided plenty of down time distraction for the members of the Company and most nights the Jocks could be heard, in the TV Operation SHADER Coalition Warrant Officers. room, baying for England’s defeat.

NOVEMBER 2018 THE RED HACKLE 37 The Battalion Security Force in front of aC-130 Spectre Gunship.

As the tour began to wind down, SECFOR began to say goodbye by unseen. Fornewly arrived Private Murdoch this was abaptism by fire to various members and teams as they returned home or moved onto as he was attached to an ISTAR Section from the Royal Anglians who other tasks. The USMC Ground Sensor team were the first to depart, were immediately deployed into Observation Posts over 500m above sea after months of exceptional work and support to ground patrols. A level. Elsewhere, 2nd Lieutenant Nichol was determined to outdo the few months later, the US 2nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion, Bravo Royal Anglians and down to the Jocks’ ferocious attitudes we managed Company (22B) element returned home and shortly afterwards the to catch five more students than any other platoon (although not without Danish teams moved to the BPC offices to continue training the Iraqi afew blackeyes miraculously appearing on both tenacious Jocks and frus- Army. Subsequently, the US 3rd Cavalry Regiment (3CR) moved in to trated students). Their performance gained the personal praise from the replace 22B and began their Reception, Staging, Onwards Integration Royal Anglian OC and acouple of crates of beer for the Jocks. (RSOI) training within SECFOR. As the last month of 3SCOTS’ deploy- In June, 5Platoon supported Royal Duties at Edinburgh Castle which ment wound down to aclose and the first troops began to return home, gave the chance for the Jocks to look good for tourists in their No 1 3CR took up more of the SECFOR duties until the handover/takeover Dress. Privates Sarwar, Ramsay and Keith jumped at the chance to was complete. Happy they were leaving Al Asad Airbase in good hands, work with the Royal Edinburgh Military Ta ttoo and loved their month we began our long journey home, to some well deserved Post To ur Leave in Edinburgh, while Privates Coull and Smillie volunteered to support and Adventurous Training. Balaklava Company for the Royal Guard at Balmoral, where they remain. Since returning to Fort George, we have said goodbye to Captain Although the guard room continued to be manned and there were other Young and WO2 Wilson; Captain Young has moved to Stirling as SO3 tasks that consumed manpower on aroutine basis, there was also achance Recruiting and Outreach, whilst WO2 Wilson is now the Ops Warrant for some to undertake Adventure Tr aining. Private Murdoch, motivated by Officer in Battalion HQ. ACompany is currently enjoying aperiod his experiences in the hills of Galloway, managed to gain qualifications in of adventurous and low level training, with aview to taking up the rock climbing and Private Lindsay 50 is now aqualified mountain leader UK Standby Battalion role in the New Year and providing support to able to take other groups up into the clouds where dreams are made… Exercise WESSEX STORM. So, while the majority of the Battalion was deployed on operations, those left behind didn’t wallow and moan. The well motivated and BRAVOCOMPANY hardworking attitudes of our new Jocks, coupled with the valuable Officer Commanding: Major LCurson (to June 2018) operational experience gained by those who deployed, will carry on into Officer Commanding: Major RColquhoun from June the newly formed teams. To gether, they will make Bravo Company a Second-in-Command: Lieutenant TThorpe force to be reckoned with once again. Company Sergeant Major: Warrant Officer Class 2RHunter Looking ahead, the focus will shift from individual courses to low Company Quartermaster Sergeant: Colour Sergeant BSmith level team cohesion, before our driver training begins in earnest. Te chnical Sergeant: Sergeant BThomson Beyond that we will take the Company to Barry Buddon for two weeks 5Platoon Commander: Second Lieutenant FHaigh battlecraft in November including live firing to prepare for our dual 5Platoon Sergeant: Sergeant GSimpson role on standby for UK commitments and providing OPFOR (enemy) 6Platoon Commander: Lieutenant KNicol for the 2YORKS Battlegroup on Ex WESSEX STORM 1inJanuary- 6PlSergeant: Sergeant SConnor March 2019. Further out there is plenty more soldiering to be done 7Platoon Commander: Lieutenant J-M Roberti before the Company returns to Ex WESSEX STORM 4aspart of 7Platoon Sergeant: Sergeant RMiller the 3SCOTS Battlegroup in August-September where we will be vali- dated for our role as aStrike Company in the multinational Very High Bravo Company has reformed after aperiod in abeyance with roughly Readiness Joint Ta sk Force (VJTF -part of the NATO Response Force) half of the Jocks deploying with Alpha Company to support the in 2020. Bringing our sights back to the individual again, congratula- Battalion’s Op SHADER task in Iraq and the remainder grouped into a tions go to Sgt Sam Connor and Cpl Jamie McMillan on their selection ‘UK Commitments Company’ within the Rear Operations Group. While for promotion to Platoon Sergeant, Pte Kilgour on the birth of his child the activities of those deployed on Op SHADER have been detailed and we wish the very best of luck to Sgt Glen Simpson for his RMAS elsewhere in this magazine, it is worth hearing from some of those who instructor selection cadre early next year. were left behind, for whom there is often little glory and even less praise. During the Battalion’s deployment, there were several Bravo Company personnel unfortunate enough not to deploy. This didn’t hamper their spirits and they used the time wisely to crack some important qualifica- tions. New Jocks fresh from the Infantry Tr aining Centre (Catterick) were loaded straight onto Te am Medic and Basic Radio User Cadres to make them valuable assets to their new platoons. There was also afocus on driving qualifications, increasing the Light Mechanized capability of the battalion with some Jocks able to advance from learning to drive to becoming aqualified Foxhound driver in the space of six months. UK Commitments and trawls to support training and Defence Engagement activity overseas came in thick and fast and some of the Bravo Company personnel, under 2nd Lieutenant Nicol and Sergeant Simpson managed to deploy with 1Royal Anglian on Ex PILGRIMS PROGRESS. They were used as a‘Hunter Force’ for the UK Special Forces Selection SERE (Survive, Evade, Resist, and Extract) Training Phase. This was achance to brush up on basic soldiering and fieldcraft skills, living in aharsher climate high up in the Galloway Hills, while try- ing to make life more difficult for Special Forces hopefuls trying to pass Corporal Cruickshanks providing sound advice.

38 THE RED HACKLE NOVEMBER 2018 CHARLIE (FIRE SUPPORT) COMPANY Officer Commanding: Major DMRobertson Company Sergeant Major: Warrant Officer Class 2JCoupar Company Quartermaster Sergeant: Colour Sergeant JMcCarthy Training Sergeant: Sergeant RSharman

Since the last edition, the Savages have not been operating as afully functioning Support Company, we have been split between deploy- ments on Op SHADER and continuing to deliver the Battle Casualty Replacement Company of the Rear Operations Group in Fort George. On return to the UK, those deployed soldiers enjoyed some well deserved post operational leave before taking part in the homecoming marches and medal parade. In August, the Company reformed under the command of Maj David Robertson, arriving from the Capability Directorate in Army HQ. This has meant bidding afond farewell to Maj Hugh Wilson, who has moved south of the Border to take over as QM 1Royal Irish. WO2 Danny Buist also moved on during this period and WO2 James Coupar has now taken over in the CSM’s hot seat, fresh Sgt Connor taking the Company back to basics. from instructional duties at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. With Op SHADER firmly in the rear view mirror and benefitting from an inflow of soldiers to swell the ranks within the new battalion structure, the Company has set about re-establishing its support weap- ons competencies with great enthusiasm. This is being achieved through aseries of platoon-specific cadres, with an emphasis on live firing, and will culminate in adry training exercise on Warcop training area in November, to complete the new Battle Craft Syllabus. However, this didn’t stop members of the Company deploying on various adventure training courses, attending the battalion’s battlefield study in Belgium and France and competing in the battalion’s Maxwell Shield sports competition throughout September. As we head towards the close of the year CCompany has bonded and focussed on its basic soldiering pedigree, ready to face the considerable challenges 2019 is set to bring. MACHINE GUN PLATOON Officer Commanding: Captain LHerbert Second-in-Command: Colour Sergeant BBavadra Machine Gun Sergeant: Sergeant JFay

The equivalent of aunicorn in the modern day Army -aten man section. The platoon has now reformed after many months apart. Amongst the new faces are Platoon Commander Capt Liam Herbert and Platoon Second-in-Command CSgt Bob Bavadra, returning from his CQMS posting in Catterick. In September, following leave and homecoming activities, attention turned to final planning and preparation for the Machine Gun Cadre: an eight-week period where the platoon will con- duct live firing and tactical exercises across the UK. The Machine Gun Cadre commenced at the start of October on Fort George ranges and the surrounding area and will finish in Warcop with afinal exercise set to integrate the support weapons platoons in challenging training that will put the machine gunners, new and old, through their paces. The cadre is an arduous but progressive period where the Jocks, under the instruction of the platoon’s experienced NCOs, are being taught in detail the skills and drills required to provide the rapid and accurate direct fire support needed to support the Strike Companies in Battlegroup operations. MORTARPLATOON Officer Commanding: Lieutenant DMacLeod Second-in-Command: Warrant Officer Class 2DDempster Mortar Sergeants: Sergeant BKyle Sergeant GWatson Sergeant JSteele

The Platoon bid farewell to Captain Nick Coles, who has moved onto the top corridor to become the Operations Officer and to WO2 John Harding, who has returned to the Royal Irish to become the Tr aining Warrant Officer of their Second Battalion. The Platoon welcomed our new Platoon Commander Lt Dan MacLeod, arriving from Balaklava Company and upon successful completion of the Mortar Platoon Commanders’ course earlier in the year. The Platoon also welcomed our new Second-in-Command WO2 Dougie Dempster, who arrived in June from 1SCOTS. The Platoon also benefitted from asignificant manpower boost after the battalion’s re-orbat. In September attention turned back to mortaring, as members of the Platoon deployed on Exercise HIGHLAND RAMPANT LION, integrat- WO2 (CSM) Hunter trying to hide from the guards and duties list. ing with our Reserve counterparts from 7SCOTS, where we enjoyed a

NOVEMBER 2018 THE RED HACKLE 39 good week of mortar live firing. The platoon then started the Battalion the west/main gate, searching personnel and vehicles coming into the Mortar Cadre at the start of October at Fort George and the surround- base, whilst west tower controlled the barriers. The tour was agood eye ing area. During this period the platoon completed an arduous Mortar opener, especially for the newer members to the battalion but mostly Numbers Cadre, where they were taught in depth, the core skills and brought us closer together as aunit.” (Pte Norris). The latter stages of drills required to use the 81mm Mortar System. Concurrently, the platoon the tour also included the vital closedown of the base: “I was deployed conducted the Mortar Executive Cadre, where selected JNCOs were given for the last quarter of the tour to work with the QM’S Department; my vital pre-course training in all aspects of mortaring before going on the role was to pack up and close our part of the camp as we were the last Mortar Standard and Advanced courses in the New Year. The platoon is British unit to be deployed to Al Asad.” (Pte Bruce). The scale of the currently in Warcop for the Live Firing and final part of the Mortar Cadre. operation was agenuine eye-opener to most, highlighting the complexi- ties of operational logistics at reach. Back on home soil, the remainder of the Platoon shelved their instru- ments and went back to basics to master their basic Infantry skills and qualify in their operational role as Assault Pioneers. LCpl Hall, along with Ptes McCaskill and McInally, travelled to Gibraltar Barracks to complete the Basic Assault Pioneer course, whilst LCpls Noble and Hall passed the Assault Pioneer Section Commander’s course. North of the Border, Pte’s Bruce, McCaskill and Moir 26 attended the Army School of Bagpipe Music and Highland Drumming with Pte Bruce passing his Class 2Intermediate Drumming Course, Pte Moir 26 passing out as aClass 3Drummer and Pte 3and 7SCOTS Mortar Platoon after their live firing camp. ‘Lexi’ McCaskill finishing as top student on his Class 2piping course –not abad result, passing off in front of his new OC! External musical engage- ments continued to flow throughout the year, with one gig providing a reminder never to become complacent: live on national TV and Radio the Pipes and Drums performed at the BBC’s ‘Biggest Weekend’ festival at Scone Palace alongside artists like Emily Sande, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds and Julie Fowlis (albeit on different nights). Upon reforming the platoon in August, completion of the home- coming marches and medal parade, the Pipes and Drums has again switched to afocus on ‘green’ soldiering along with the rest of Charlie Company, embarking upon achallenging Assault Pioneer Cadre split between Weymouth, Barry Buddon and Warcop. Heading into 2019, we intend to rebuild our musical capability with aview to raising the band’s external profile once more, in amongst the substantial training commitments. The demands placed upon the band remain considerable and it continues to rely on the goodwill of the rest of the battalion to help sustain its manpower.

Ptes Toni and Scobbie putting one down the tube. Maj Dave Robertson with Pte McCaskill and Pte Moir upon completion of Class 2Piper and Class 3Drummer courses respectively. ASSAULTPIONEER PLATOON AND PIPES AND DRUMS Platoon Commander/Pipe Major: Colour Sergeant ATripney Platoon Second-in-Command/ Drum Major: Sergeant CLowe

It has been atypically busy period again for the Pipes and Drums, split between deployment to Al Asad Airbase on Op SHADER and back in the UK with the ROG. We have said farewell to CSgt ‘Cami’ Campbell after 13 years in the platoon, moving to his new role as CQMS of HQ Company and handing over to newly, promoted Drum Major Lowe. The band welcomes Pte Saul Bruce -who has seen the light and joined from 7SCOTS -and Pte Scott ‘Sid’ Moir, both Drummers, in addition to the arrivals of Ptes McCormick and Sherriffs, currently attending their Class 3Piping course. Congratulations also go out to Pete and Steph Muir on the birth of their son Lucas (and to James for becoming an uncle). Formany of the younger Jocks, such as Ptes Norris, Wainwright and Bruce, SHADER was their first operational tour and they were tasked with many different roles whilst in Theatre: “Wetook day to day shifts in the sangers along with the Coalition Forces to maintain the rotations of the sentry. We then undertook the role of QRF,providing quick Pte McCaskill receiving top student (piper) prize at the Army School of reaction to casualties, threats etc. We also had the duty of sentry on Bagpipe Music at Highland Drumming.

40 THE RED HACKLE NOVEMBER 2018 DELTA (ISR) COMPANY -BUILDING PARTNER ANTI-TANK PLATOON CAPACITY (BPC) Officer Commanding: Captain AAtterbury Officer Commanding: Major RSmith until June 2018 Second-in-Command: Colour Sergeant Passiful Major Finlay Anderson Company Sergeant Major: Warrant Officer Class 2Ferrier Summer 2018 has been an interesting one for the Anti-Ta nk Platoon. The Platoon has been split, with amajority involved in training the Company HQ deployed on Op SHADER 6aspart of the BPC Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) as part of Op SHADER 6, while asignifi- Company. Working closely with Danish Forces in the command ele- cant minority remained in the UK with the Rear Operations Group ment, the triumvirate of Maj Smith, Capt Doughty and WO2 Ferrier (ROG). With summer leave thrown in it was Autumn before we got worked hard to ensure there was no friction between elements and the back together as aplatoon and were able to focus on the Cadre run training audience. in October. We thank Maj Smith and Capt Doughty for their hard work on behalf May saw those deployed on Op SHADER 6completing the last of Delta Company and we welcome Maj Finlay Anderson as the new of the ISF training courses. We had taken this course through the Company Commander. full 8-week progression and had seen them develop into better all-round soldiers. The course had also allowed lots of time to SNIPER PLATOON develop the more junior soldiers, offering excellent opportunities Officer Commanding: Colour Sergeant Roadnight to instruct in adifferent environment. It was great to see those Second-in-Command: Sergeant Smith like LCpls Wallace and Brown who seized the opportunity and delivered some excellent training. The Sniper Platoon has successfully concluded their part in the train- Concurrently there was work to be done in the UK, with soldiers ing team mission on Op SHADER 6, training the Iraqi Border Force. from the Platoon fulfilling ahost of tasks in the UK, from support- Inevitably the Short Te rm Training Te am (STTT) task has ahabit of ing UK Ops through to providing the OPFOR for Special Forces presenting challenges that you aren’t expecting (usually due to the host training exercises. nation) and relies on the resourcefulness and determination of each July and August offered aperiod of respite, with nearly everyone member of the team to help overcome. Ifelt very fortunate to have (bar afew still with ACoy in Iraq) home and taking some well-earned such ahighly capable and motivated training team. The instructors leave, before hitting the ground running in September. The CO’s focus provided the Iraqi Defence Force with excellent training in CIED, basic for the month was ‘fun’ and there was plenty of opportunities, with battlefield casualty drills, basic Infantry tactics (tailored to the Border Jocks doing AT,Sport, KAPE tours and finally the Medals Parade. A Force role) and marksmanship. The patience and professionalism of all great month to get the new Jocks we gained bedded in ahead of atough those involved in the delivery of this training was humbling to see. It is cadre in October. worth mentioning that Cpl Stewart built such agood rapport with the The cadre centred around Otterburn –afantastic area to get back to training audience that they wanted to keep him and even gave him an the basics of Anti-Ta nking in some truly austere and challenging condi- Iraqi name. tions. The Jocks performed excellently, keeping morale high, even when On return from deployment and after some well deserved leave the there always seemed to be one more hill to climb. With some platoon Sniper platoon has had an uplift of manning. Unfortunately, we have events thrown in and atrip to Edinburgh there was also fun to be had, also had to say farewell to Cpl Cruickshank and LCpl Rakovac, who and the platoon emerged stronger and fitter than before. have moved on to the next chapter in their careers. We wish them the Looking forward the focus firmly switches to individual training, with best of luck. driving the priority, alongside well earned promotion courses for some. While the uplift was taking place some members of the platoon had an opportunity to take part in some AT and have completed two weeks of open canoeing, taking in some of the stunning scenery that is on our doorstep, gaining aqualification and planning athree day expedition. Meanwhile those back in camp have been working on the planning and execution of aSniper Cadre to qualify those that are new to the platoon. It will challenge the newer members over the ten week course and will be agood chance for the existing members of the platoon to refocus on sniping and get back to its core function. RECCE PLATOON Officer Commanding: Captain WKelly Second-in-Command: Colour Sergeant Blake

The Reconnaissance Platoon has taken abreak from field soldiering to deploy as part of amultinational BPC (Building Partnership Capability) Company on Op SHADER 6inIraq. Atask that required the boys to teach, mentor and develop Iraqi forces. The training was ‘designed’ to train the forces up to Complex Urban Company live fire by night. It was avery different level of training delivered. The Platoon was split amongst the Company Tr aining Te ams, with instructors used to support the Sniper and Anti-Ta nk teams. The cours- es consisted of early starts and training throughout the morning, leaving an afternoon to prepare lessons and get fit in the gym. The tour was cut short for several reasons, all of which were decisions being made from Command elements in Baghdad. This has allowed us to return and enjoy an extended leave period this Summer. Are-ORBATpost leave means that the Platoon is in atransitional phase. We salute CSgt Duncan Blake (2IC) and Sgt Andy Ritchie (Pl Sgt) as they have been posted for acomfortable two years working with Ta yforth UOTC and ITC Catterick respectively. Also, Cpl Sam Connor has been promoted and moved into BCompany as aPlatoon Sergeant. Sgt Bellshaw will become Recce 2IC, Sgt White takes over as the senior Platoon Sergeant and Sgt Stewart steps up as junior Platoon Sergeant. Finally, we will complete aRecce Cadre in Otterburn for six weeks, An Iraqi Border Guard, happy with the coaching he received from including aweek’s Urban training in Whinney Hill. Fingers crossed for rain. his instructors.

NOVEMBER 2018 THE RED HACKLE 41 HEADQUARTER COMPANY Officer Commanding: Major BCooper Company Sergeant Major: Warrant Officer Class 2BYoung Company Quartermaster Sergeant: Corporal JTaroga

Headquarter Company has been through aperiod of change over the past few months having worked its way through several Company Quartermaster Sergeant’s. As always when the Battalion deploys, HQ Company becomes alot busier with assets split between forward and rear and the departments pick up the extra tasks. CSgt Young returned from RMAStotake on CQMS all be it for a short period before taking over from WO2 (CSM) Weir who moves onto Ta yforth UOTC. CSgt Cooper has moved from the hectic job of CQMS and takes on the job of Unit Welfare SNCO. The Company seem to have an ongoing relationship at Skibo Estate and some Jocks enjoyed another day out at the pheasant beating. Whether it is the food or the fresh air that keeps the Jocks going back no one will know but aday walking the hills is one way to get some miles on the legs. The OC is adamant that it is asheer coincidence that his hobby is shooting.

Cpl Jamieson teaching primary survey medical techniques.

WO2 Bryan Young, LCpl Buie and Cpl Purce enjoying the garden party.

QUARTERMASTERS DEPARTMENT From the snowy and windswept UK, to the dry, dusty but equally windswept An Anbar Province of central Iraq and back again, the Quartermasters Department has been busy supporting and sustaining the Battalion on Op SHADER and its subsequent return to the UK. As they say “G4, there’s always more” and so it continues to prove. Recovery, re-organisation and re-balancing has been the Department’s main output over the last few months, co-ordinating the withdrawal of all operational equipment and platforms from the UK element in Al Assad Airbase in Iraq, whilst ensuring that the Battalion freight and Delta Company teaching Iraqi Security Forces on how to conduct Vehicle weapons returned to the UK in time to be prepared for the myriad Check Point procedures. of upcoming tasks. Following the re-organisation to amore Light Mechanised Infantry conventional shape, the QM’s team have been central in supporting the homecoming parades, KAPE activity and the various cadres (Sniper, Machine Gun, Recce, Mortars and CiS) whilst preparing for our external assurance checks. The Quartermaster, Maj Gary Wallace, has handed over the reins to Maj Stuart Cochrane and the recently promoted Maj Ian Houston is handing over imminently to Capt Russell as QM(T). Additionally, RQMS Graham Hannah has now been replaced by RQMS Duncan. The Department has also been boosted by the promotion of Cpl Beattie to Sgt as well as Cpl Macivor (RLC) having been selected for promotion to SNCO. Back in the Fort, improvements to the soldier’s facilities and accom- modation remains an enduring theme. The multi- use games area is now taking shape and should soon be completed, the recent improvements to the cookhouse and RedHackle Club have been much welcomed. It’s not all been work focused and we have found time to fit in some Adventure Training in the Cairngorms before returning to take part in the Medals Parade. Like the remainder of the Battalion the Department is looking for- ward to the varied and interesting forecast of events for the coming training year and re-focusing on our core Infantry skills. One thing will Soldiers from the Battalion undertook open top canoeing on their return from Iraq. be certain “G4 always more !!!!”.

42 THE RED HACKLE NOVEMBER 2018 REGIMENTAL ADMINISTRATION OFFICE UNIT WELFARE OFFICE The last few months have witnessed substantial transformation at the Unit Welfare Officer: Warrant Officer Class 2ENichol 3SCOTS AGCSPS Detachment. We have welcomed Staff Sergeant Assistant Unit Welfare Officer: Colour Sergeant CCooper Thompson (FSA), Corporal Asiimwe, Pte Cole and have bid farewell Welfare Te am: Corporal RSimpson to Cpl Ravutia, LCpl Jones and SSgt Buist; as ever outflow is greater Lance Corporal KClement than inflow but light is at the end of the tunnel with anew RAOand Det Private ETay Comd due to arrive in November 2018. Welfare Clerk: Mrs Rhoda Mills During an eventful and demanding period we have continued to cater to the unit’s administrative needs and in support of the multifac- Having waved off Captain Paul Naismith to the post of 1SCOTS MTO eted operational G1 requirements for UK based operations and the in Palace Barracks, Itook up the reins as Unit Welfare Warrant Officer Op SHADER deployment and recovery. and continued with the positive work that had been done by the previ- Our main effort has been the successful recovery of the unit from ous Welfare Officer. Capt Naismith invested so much time and effort SHADER, closely followed by the G1 administration in support of the into the community. On behalf of 3SCOTS Iwish him and his family re-organisation of the Officers and soldiers across the unit. all the best for the future. The detachment has seen further success with promotions, Corporal It has been avery busy time within the department with Op SHADER Simpson to Sergeant, Lance Corporal’s Ironside and Rhodes to 6dominating the agenda. We have organised at least one trip away each Corporal; Pte’s Bbaale, Al-Mamun and RaitoLance Corporal; beyond month to ease the burden that the separation with loved ones may have these great successes, the delivery of apprenticeships and Class 1 caused. To date the families have experienced, quad biking, asteam workplace training books has been constant. With two of our female railway trip and aLoch Ness boat trip as well as go karting, visits to the cohort volunteering themselves for participation in the Women in Close Highland Wildlife Park and to Codonas in Aberdeen. Ground Combat Trials in early September, we aim to do our part in We have run avery successful Sunday Lunch each month and had delivering females to fighting units such as 3SCOTS. nearly 190 people from the community attend the families’ barbeque. The AGCTriple Crown competition is a‘soldier first’ focused Looking forward, we will be looking to organise some more community event run annually at Worthy Down. LCpls Ironside, Jones and Ptes events in the run up to the festive period. Al-Mamun and Bbaale represented the 3SCOTS Detachment, com- pleting the 12 miles’ march and shoot phase in areasonable time. Pte Jimmy Bbaale has managed to get away on the La Manga Football tour but due to his enjoyment on that, we only thought it fair to then deploy him straight onto Exercise WESSEX STORM with the Royal Irish on Salisbury Plain for four weeks! Pte Lisa Smith (Charlie Coy) has attended arock climbing AT course which saw her quali- fied to progress in the sport towards her aspiration of Rock Climbing Instructor; during the course, she tackled all the Scottish Highlands had to offer including foul weather, terrifying ascents and of course anight out by the camp fire on some Highland craggy ledge. The newly arrived Pte Sydney Cole (HQ Coy) will attend the AGC Summer Adventure Training Expedition to Austria in September hav- ing managed to get one, of only afew highly sought after places and Pte Smith will deploy on her Company’s Battlefield To ur to France. We enter this next year with vigour and zeal and we will continue to ply our trade whilst adopting and learning MODNET;The i-Hub is now ours, inheriting this chore from the CIS Platoon, we can only LCpl Clement, Cpl Simpson, WO2 Nichol, Mrs Rhoda Mills, say “Thanks…. ..”, arguably the most thankless job in the whole of CSgt Cooper and Pte Tay. Defence, i-Hub business is critical and absolutely necessary so keep your e-records organised and compliant.

The quad biking squad in Aviemore.

CATERING PLATOON Regimental Catering Warrant Officer: WO2 (SQMS) Jupp Platoon Sgt: Sgt Powell

It has been another busy working period for the Catering Platoon, Capt Paul Brown hands over the Op SHADER Admin Office. maintaining our professional, hard working team ethics by assisting the contract with the provision of ahigh standard of delivery daily within the Home-Base and providing support to the wider Army with varied commitments both operationally and socially. Although the Platoon didn’t deploy to Iraq on OP SHADER, the requests for catering manpower to deploy on external trawls has been high and has seen members of the Platoon deploy on several Exercises and Operations including, EX JEBEL STORM, OP TOSCA, EX SNOWLION and support to the Royal Guard. There have also been anumber of low key events that the Platoon have supported including the provision of a few internal and external Adventure Training packages. This coupled with individuals requiring career courses, competing in catering competitions The Battalion AGC Detachment. and conducting mandatory training has kept the platoon busy.

NOVEMBER 2018 THE RED HACKLE 43 During the month of June, ateam of chefs headed up by Cpl MAXWELL SHIELD CHAMPIONSHIP 2018 Stockham competed in EX ARMY SUSTAINER an annual Army The Maxwell Shield Championship began in 1914, introduced by Wide Catering Competition held in Grantham. As part of the prepara- General Sir John Grenfell Maxwell, late 42nd (Royal Highland) tion for this event the team conducted several run throughs on their Regiment of Foot. It is an annual inter-company competition, most respective dishes in order to become competition ready. They were recently undertaken from the 19th to 21st of September 2018. judged by the RCWO along with selected members of the Battalion This year the competition comprised of 15 events including Darts, including the QM and the OC. The following individuals were selected Ta ble Te nnis, Run-Bike Duathlon, FIFA, Rugby 7s, Risk, Golf, Fishing, to compete and represent the Battalion: 5-a-side Football, Powerlifting, Squash, Basketball, Pool, Croquet and Cpl Stockham: Individual Hot Sweet afinale event. All available soldiers took part in at least one event and LCpl Deans: Individual Pasta (1st Place in his event) made sure they cheered on their companies when they weren’t. There LCpl Souter: Individual Fish (runner up in his event) was also achance to unwind with aBattalion BBQ paid for from the Pte Sanders: Junior Chicken Commanding Officer’s fund. Unfortunately for Headquarter Company, the beached minke whale picked up by the LAD did not count as bonus Cpl Stockham: Grand Prix event points towards their fishing team. LCpl Deans Each event was scored at 3points for the winning Company and 1point for second place. The company with the most points overall and winners Recently the Platoon conducted amuch-needed break from the of the Maxwell Shield Championship 2018 is Delta (Light) Company. stoves and underwent ateam building day at alocal archery centre, where we took part in the Bowhunter training activity. This saw the Platoon compete against each other, and in teams in numerous archery based challenges including target practice, dinosaur and zombie hunt- ing and to finish off acombat zone challenge shooting each other with specially adapted arrows in acontrolled environment. To parcher for the day had to go to WO2 (Robin Hood) Jupp who outscored all on the dinosaur and zombie hunt game. This was followed by aplatoon BBQ and afew sociable drinks in town. As we look forward, the Catering Platoon will provide afirst-class service to the Battalion whether it be within the Fort, on exercise or on Operations, as well as supporting the wider Army.

The Maxwell Shield was won by Delta Company.

Catering Platoon team building day out. WO2 Jupp, Sgt Powell, Cpls Stockham and Roseru, LCpl Souter,Ptes Sanders, Sutherland and Ferguson.

Power lifting formed part of the Maxwell Shield competition.

Celebrity chef Simon Rimmer judging LCpl Souter’s fish dish. The gun run was held over the ramparts at Fort George.

44 THE RED HACKLE NOVEMBER 2018 Ex BLITZKRIEG HACKLE Ex BLITZKRIEG HACKLE was the Battalion’s battlefield study for 2018. Under the instruction of OC Machine Guns and amateur historian Capt Herbert, twenty eight soldiers deployed for aweek to France to study the German invasion of the country in May 1940. Looking primarily from the German perspective, the group was able to learn about the German blitzkrieg tactics and how their mechanised infantry were employed in the Panzer Divisions. The British perspective was explored through the evacuation at Dunkirk and the actions of the 51st Highland Division at St Va lery-en-Caux. First the group visited the Ardennes and the attack of XIX Panzer Corps at Sedan. This included aseries of briefs on the conflict and visits to key sights such as the Maginot line and the Ardennes WarMuseum. The tour then moved north, following the route that the Wehrmacht took to cut off the British Expeditionary Force. With stands at Arras and Calais the group explored how the BEF fell back to Dunkirk, before visiting the port itself and learn- ing about the evacuation, Op DYNAMO. Finally the group con- ducted awreath laying ceremony at St Va lery, after having walked the positions held by the men of 1st Battalion The Black Watch (RHR) at Houdetot and those of the 2nd Seaforth Highlanders at St Sylvain and Le To t. Students on the exercise enjoying aguided tour of aMaginot Line fort.

The group at the National Canadian WarMemorial Vimy Ridge.

NOVEMBER 2018 THE RED HACKLE 45

51st Highland, 7th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland

BATTALION HEADQUARTERS Regiment of Scotland. He last served with the 1st Battalion The Black Commanding Officer: Lieutenant Colonel DM Sheldrick Watch in Fallingbostel in 2001. He has completed astint of service with Regimental Sergeant Major: Warrant Officer Class 1(RSM) D 154 Regiment RLC before transferring across to us. In conjunction with Carter the current Pipe Major, Iexpect the Pipes and Drums to flourish. Second-in-Command: Major ARose Training Major/XO: Major MJ Pearson Quartermaster: Major RWhyte Adjutant: Captain SDAMcCauley Regimental Administration Officer: A/Major PJ Ward Regimental Operations Support Officer: Captain AG McEwen MBE Regimental Operations Support Warrant Officer: Warrant Officer Class 2 LMcDowall (until 30/09/2018) Regimental Career Management Officer: Captain BS Baxter Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant: Warrant Officer Class 2 (RQMS) SLawrence HEADQUARTER COMPANY Officer Commanding Major IBunce Company Sergeant Major: Warrant Officer Class 2JMcColl Motorised Transport Warrant Officer: Warrant Officer Class 2DSwash Regimental Signals Officer: Gapped Signals Permanent Staff Instructor: Colour Sergeant Dempsey Company Quartermaster Sergeant: Colour Sergeant Tw ine COMMANDING OFFICER’S FOREWORD At the time of writing my foreword for the last edition of the Red Hackle magazine we were about to deploy to Lydd Training Area in Kent to run an exercise (Exercise DECISIVE DECISION) for approximately 200 Qatari Officer Cadets. With support and advice from OC BCoy 3SCOTS, Major LeeCurson and his Company Sergeant Major, WO2 Hunter, the exercise went remarkably smoothly. The OCdts, who were used to training in the Qatari desert, deployed into acold, wet and undulating Cinque Ports rural training area for Lt Col Sheldrick exchanging gifts with Major Methkar (Qatari Army) three weeks. Similar to UK forces, the syllabus was designed to focus at the end of Exercise DECISIVE DECISION. on low-level platoon and company tactics, operating from patrol har- bours and testing basic fieldcraft. Iwas hugely impressed with how well the OCdts adapted to and coped with the demanding conditions they faced, especially considering that they were limited to kit and equipment more appropriate to the desert than the British springtime. Nonetheless, the Qatari contingent departed having gained valuable training, whilst from aUKperspective, those involved gained abetter cultural understanding of the Qataris and further enhanced the rela- tionship with the Ahmed Min Mohammed Military Academy. The Battalion sub-units also continued to focus on low-level tacti- cal skills in the run up to and during the annual training deployment. This year consisted of aweek of live firing in Warcop including mor- tars (again with generous support from 3SCOTS Mortar Pl), with the second week being spent in Galloway forest with 6SCOTS and other Reserve units. By the end of the two week period, the standard of fieldcraft and tactics had improved considerably and the Battalion contingent gave an excellent account of themselves. However, it wasn’t just about the fighting troops; the battalion’s G4 chain was tested and performed strongly, displaying the diverse range of skills and qualifica- tions within the unit. On the ‘home’ front, we have continued to recruit under Op FORTIFY LCpl MacNaughton piping in Tunisia. with the battalion strength growing because of the persistent efforts of the Company recruiting teams. Capt Alan McEwen has continued to be Lastly, Iwould like to welcome back those from 3SCOTS who as proactive as ever as the Regimental Operations Support Officer (lead deployed on Op SHADER earlier in the year. Iwould also like to thank for engagement and recruiting) ably supported by WO2 McDowell who the CO who, within hours of returning home, addressed the Battalion moved on in September when his post was disestablished. It has been conference on aSaturday afternoon in Inverness, sharing with us his particularly good to welcome back LCpl MacNaughton into the Royal recent experiences in Iraq.

48 THE RED HACKLE NOVEMBER 2018 CO 3SCOTS at the 7SCOTS battalion conference.

ALPHA (FIRE SUPPORT) COMPANY Officer Commanding: Major ACameron Company Second-in-Command Captain KRehman 2Lt Caddick making his intent clear to Sgt Paterson on Exercise RAMPANT LION. Company Sergeant Major: WO2 SWoods Permanent Staff Adminstrative The Jocks have been travelling far and wide to take part in an array of Officer: Captain JLangdale exercises in some challenging roles; CSM Woods travelled to Cyprus on Regimental Sub Unit Support ex JOINT VENTURE a2*operational level, international and intera- Officer: Captain MDunnigan gency HQ exercise as an Operations Warrant Officer. 2Lt Caddick put Anti-Ta nk Platoon Commander: 2nd Lieutenant ACaddick in avery impressive performance on Ex WARFIGHTER –where he Mortar Platoon Commander: Lieutenant KWigley deployed with 3rd (UK) Division in aG3–5role that is normally the Rifle Platoon Commander: Lieutenant RHand preserve of amuch more experienced officer. Sgt Naughton, LCpls’ Ross SPSI Dundee: Sergeant EMortley and Ash deployed on Ex DYNAMIC VICTORYwith RMASwhere they PSI Aberdeen: Colour Sergeant AMacDonald received high praise for their enthusiastic and professional approach dur- CQMS (FTRS): Colour Sergeant SMacGregor ing their CIVPOP enabling role. We also provided some key personnel CQMS (Res): Colour Sergeant BKnowles on Ex DECISIVE DECISION. Capt Mike Dunnigan and his team of recruiters continue to spread The Company has had another very active and successful six month the word and encourage new faces into the ranks of the Company. Over period with the troops continuing to excel on anumber of exercises, the last six months we have had some impressive results at all phases of competitions and courses. The second half of the training year pre- recruit training with Pte’s Middleton, Broad, MacDonald and Phillips dominantly focused on preparation for our annual training deployment completing their Combat Infantry Course and all receiving good reports. (ATD) Exercise RAMPANT LION. We conducted three weekend We have been engaging with local cadet forces both in the field and exercises in tandem with Support Weapon training during the summer during open nights at Oliver Barracks. months to prepare for the ATD. The exercises were productive and To promote our soldiers is atremendous honour and we have proved very worthwhile for all ranks but in particular for our junior recently seen LCpls O’Rourke and Crawford pick up their first tape commanders, who were well drilled on the battle procedure and pla- and Cpl Henderson his second after respectively completing PJNCOs toon level tactics. The Company covered aplethora of skills during the and SCBC. These promotions are crucial to the personal develop- exercises while conforming to the new “Back to Basics/Soldier First and ment of our young leaders but also to the future of the Company. Battle Craft Syllabus”. Congratulations also go to Pte Broad who successfully completed AOSB and will look to secure aregular commission in 2019. Finally, our reporting period would not be complete without some Adventure Training feedback and Sgt McNiven did not disappoint, planning and delivering aBattalion AT package based out of Norwegian Lodge, Aviemore. Sgt McNiven and his team delivered mountaineer- ing, canoeing, mountain biking and climbing over two weekends and aconsolidated five day package, challenging all ranks who took part. Looking forward we will turn our attention to Urban Operations training and more range work over the autumn period and with abusy Remembrance schedule ahead, it will be back to the drill square and some “spit and polish” for all. ARMY HEARTACHE AT INTERSERVICE FLYFISHING By WO2 JP Maestri

The Inter-Service Fly Fishing Championships is the event all those who fly fish in the Services want to win. Beating the RAFand the Navy goes along way to justifying all the hard work that’s been put in throughout the year fishing for the Army. As acompetition, the RAFhave been the dominant force over the last 10 years, so it’s always atall order in trying to knock them off that pedestal but with the Army as reigning cham- pions from the previous year, the RAFwould be looking to restore, as they say, “natural order”. Every year the event is held at Rutland water, fly fishing’s mecca in the UK, however this year it was changed to Grafham, the RAF home water. Only two Reservists were selected for the Army team, 2Section preparing to move on Exercise LIONS CLAW – both of whom would be earning their third Caps. Iwas one of the two aplatoon level training exercise. Reservists selected. To dispel any myths around this sport, it is extremely challenging both Phase 1ofExRAMPANT LION focussed on Live Firing at Warcop physically and mentally; you are on the water for eight hours, constantly Training Camp, where the exercising soldiers progressed up to Section casting and thinking about tactics whilst manoeuvring around the lake attacks. The Mortars were not to be out done also completing their looking for good areas to give yourself and the team the best chance ACMT with some assistance from the Black Watch Battalion. of winning. After along day on the water the team retreated to the

NOVEMBER 2018 THE RED HACKLE 49 classroom where the rest of the night would be used to discuss tactics, engagement of the fortnight -the Paderborn Schutzenfest! This was formulate plans and tie the appropriate flies for the next day. acommunity event, held annually in the majority of German towns It’s usually abit more relaxed on practice day because there is no and cities and the Paderborn event pulled in crowds of up to ten pressure at this point, however on match day it’s adifferent story. Most thousand over the two days that the Band performed. The first morn- people don’t have the time to eat for the eight hours they are out on the ing brought the parade to the Schutzenplatz, afour mile march with water, moving, casting and trying to beat your boat partner. aceremony lasting approximately one hour. There were over thirty After practice day one, there was an hour’s window to get an evening bands performing on the parade and the Highland, Lowland and RLC meal before going into the classroom, to prepare aplan and to tie flies. Band were privileged to be third in the order of march. They even Our confidence was short lived as one of the team had lost his “top ten” made the front page of the local newspaper. Following the parade, the fly box. We feared the worst and rightly so as the RAFhad found the band performed several concert band spots at the tent of the ‘Western box and used it to their advantage. Now the argument is that some of Kompanie’, which was the company sponsoring the first three bands you may think this is good intelligence gathering and appropriate use on the parade. The bands performed superbly and certainly went down of countermeasures, others may see it as underhand tactics. This intel- astorm with the viewing public. The roof was positively raised when ligence was put to devastating use and effect against the Army team. the two pipers joined with the bands to perform favourites such as Looking to other events, Ihave been selected to fish for the UK Highland Cathedral (which is actually aGermanic hymn tune!), Rose Services against the UK Police at the Lake of Mentieth in October. of Kelvingrove, Amazing Grace, and 79th Farewell to Gibraltar. The Ialso made it to the National final this year only to miss out on a Pipe Major and Piper Christie were indeed avaluable asset to have Scotland Cap. alongside the Bands. The second day of the Schutzenfest followed very If anyone is interested in joining The Army Fly Fishing Federation, much the same pattern as the first, although the march and parade please follow the links or contacts below. started very much earlier, at 0715hrs. www.soldierpalmers.org With very little time to recover from two extremely busy days, the Maj (Tfc) R.D Rudd, SO2 G6, 38 (Irish) Brigade band was once again on the road, this time only twenty minutes round [email protected] the corner to perform aconcert for the local community of Hövelhof. Recruitment: Maj Ben Worley This is acommunity right next to the Army Training Area, and today, [email protected] instead of the constant noises of tanks trundling up and down that area, they were treated to amusical performance, just to say thank you for their tolerance throughout the year. The programme included the opening overture, ‘Orpheus in the Underworld’ (which finishes with the famous devil’s gallop, or Can-Can to you and I), ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’, ‘Hymn of the Highlands’, and of course more pipe tunes with the Band’s resident pipers. The music was very well received, and we were lucky to get away with playing only one encore! And so the band moved on to the next engagement, the ‘suspended animation parade’ for 17 (Corunna) Battery, Royal Artillery. The first day consisted of intensive parade rehearsals with the Royal Artillery soldiers, all of which took place on the first day of persistent rain of the whole deployment. The following day despite being caught in an extremely rare holdup on the Autobahn, the band arrived on time to march the parade through the barracks in Gütersloh and on to the parade square. The final engagement took place the following day, again in Sennelager, playing for aregimental dinner in the Officers’ WO2 Maestri on the water. Mess at Normandy Barracks. This was followed by the long journey home; which meant for some awell deserved rest, but for most, areturn THE HIGHLAND BAND,THE ROYALREGIMENT to their daily workplaces! OF SCOTLAND Overall, the annual training deployment was ahuge success. The ANNUAL TRAINING DEPLOYMENT 2018 Band trained in all musical aspects of their expected roles, had regular PADERBORN AND SENNELAGER,GERMANY personal fitness sessions, covered two of their annual MATTstraining The 30th June 2018 saw the Highland Band once again join forces with sessions, and the Phase 2trainees received in depth instruction on all the Lowland Band to perform at the Stirling Military Show as part of written work expected of them in their Phase 2examinations. They 2018 Armed Forces Day. This engagement also formed the first day of performed superbly wherever they went and were acredit not only the Annual Tr aining Deployment for both bands. The following day, to Army Music but also to the Army Reserves. Ta sked with aregular they boarded the coach at Redford Cavalry Barracks in Edinburgh for deployment, they proved their worth and to the untrained eye, no dis- the first part of the journey. tinction could really be made between them and their Regular Army The bands joined forces, with members of the 150 Royal Logistics counterparts. The deployment also forms amuch more important fac- Corps Band from Hull, to form the Duty Band for two weeks in tor to the Reserve; that of aretention and recruiting positive venture. Sennelager, Germany. Using the ferry to Rotterdam they arrived on The Bands can now offer this type of deployment to prospective band the 2nd of July. members and wholeheartedly sell the Army Reserve life as aworth- The next day saw rehearsals and training start in earnest, with full while and rewarding second career. concert band rehearsals followed by CEQ 3(rudiments and history of music) lessons given by the Director of Music, Captain Craig Burns, to the Phase 2students in all three bands. This was followed by fitness training and agym induction delivered by Pipe Major Darren Walker. Following breakfast the next day, it was time to do some intensive marching band practice. Tw ohours on parade in temperatures in excess of 24 degrees was certainly hard work but the band improved dramatically with this intensive training; something which is difficult to do on aweekly basis in the Army Reserve. More concert band practice followed and it was then time to call an early halt to the day, in order to allow the brass quintet to travel to Hamburg for aRoyal Air Force dinner commemorating their 100th anniversary. This also allowed the remainder of the band some down time to prepare kit for the forthcom- ing engagements. The following three days consisted of more intensive musical and parade drill rehearsals, personal fitness periods, along with MATTs 6&7lectures and tests. All of this training was leading up to the major The Band during rehearsal in Germany.

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THE RED HACKLE

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52 THE RED HACKLE NOVEMBER 2018 HMS MONTROSE

HMS Montrose, proudly affiliated to the Black Watch, has had another helicopter were pitted against both Finnish and Swedish Fast Patrol very busy period. Having completed her Operational Sea Training, a Boats hiding amongst, and darting between, the complex archipelag- gruelling 8weeks of war-fighting and damage control training which ic island chains. The completion of these exercises was marked with culminated in exercises off the West coast of Scotland for Joint Warrior another visit, this time to the beautiful historic city of Stockholm, 18:1; we joined the Joint Expeditionary Force (Maritime), the UK-led where HMS Montrose was very fortunate to be berthed right in the multi-national contingency task group that stands ready to respond to city centre, within sight of the historic district of Gamla Stan and the crises anywhere in the world. hip, modern district of Sodermalm. In June, whilst preparing for ashort summer deployment to the Baltic Once more in UK waters, HMS Montrose visited Black Watch coun- Sea, HMS Montrose was ‘activated’ to shadow aRussian task group of try when she called in to her affiliated town of Montrose in Angus, Steregushchiy class corvettes as they entered and operated within the where she hosted members of the public onboard, met with local digni- UK Exclusive Economic Zone and in close proximity to UK territorial taries and paid tribute to alocal hero, Bamse, the Norwegian Sea Dog. waters. This 2week operation was part of the UK’s commitment to It was also the chance to host some of the Black Watch Association protecting our borders, maintaining the integrity of our territorial seas onboard, not least the Provost of Angus, Major Ronnie Proctor. Prior and demonstrating, to any foreign Navy, that the Royal Navy remains to returning to HM Naval Base Devonport, we paid our first visit to the committed to support for the international rules-based system and is town of Fowey, Cornwall to which she also holds an affiliation. ready to deploy major warships at amoment’s notice. HMS Montrose now prepares to deploy to the Gulf as the first Following withdrawal of the Russian task group back into the forward-deployed Royal Navy frigate. She will sail in October through Baltic Sea, HMS Montrose regained her original programme and the Pacific Ocean, circumnavigating the globe and flying the White sailed into the Baltic to support Defence Engagement with the Ensign throughout the Pacific and East Asia before arriving in Bahrain Finnish and Swedish Navies -both newly signed-up members of the where she will be based until 2022. In anew manning concept for the Joint Expeditionary Force. In Tu rku, Finland, HMS Montrose took Frigate force, HMS Montrose will be manned by two crews, aPort and part in celebrations marking the 100th Anniversary of the Finnish Starboard watch, who will each rotate into the Arabian Gulf on afour Navy, joined by ships from six other Navies from across Europe. monthly basis; the second crew will be formed from the current crew of To gether with the celebrations was the more serious business of HMS Monmouth (one of our sister T23 frigates) once they have handed developing our interoperability and exercising war-fighting func- her to Babcock engineers for atwo year refit and upgrade to her sensors tions during Exercise Baltic Cross; HMS Montrose and her Wildcat and weapon systems.

Left to Right: Major Ronnie Proctor (Provost of Angus and Black Watch Association Secretary), Mr Douglas Fitchett (Glencadam Distillery), Commander Conor O’Neill (CO HMS Montrose), Robina Addison (Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Angus)and Mr John Davie Council Officer.

NOVEMBER 2018 THE RED HACKLE 53 the rare occasion to share our experience with members of our parent unit, The Black Watch 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland. It was avery special and memorable moment for all participants and it highlighted the special relationship that the Regiment proudly main- tains with its Colonel-in-Chief. The Pipes &Drums are continuing their outstanding work in repre- senting the Regiment. One of these opportunities was to send members The of the band to participate in the Royal Nova Scotia International Ta ttoo in Halifax. Six members of the band traveled to Halifax, under the experienced leadership of our Regimental Pipe-Major, MWO Danny Black Watch Smith, to live aunique musical and human experience. As any army unit, recruiting is essential to maintain our operational (Royal Highland Regiment) readiness and generate young leaders for our missions. This year, 2018, is so far an outstanding year for the Black Watch with five new officers, eight junior leaders, and more than forty new recruits joining the unit. of Canada We had the opportunity, for the first time in many years, to conduct abasic infantry course where both course cadre and candidates were exclusively from the unit. The result of this situation can only be quali- The unit continues to train in its operational mandate and to support fied as aresounding success and we were very happy to welcome these various tasks both at the national and international levels. We are also new highland infantry men and women to the unit getting ready to commemorate the centennial of the end of World War The Regiment is still involved in providing troops for international 1and participate in many events, both in Canada and in Europe that deployments. Capt Loic Baumans just deployed to Iraq as amember will commemorate this important anniversary. of the multinational HQ in Bagdad and Capt Matthew Cooke and Sgt The Regimental family gathered once again in Montreal on May Matt Ramsey are deploying respectively in Latvia and the Ukraine as 6th for our annual Church Parade. Spirits were high, and all were very part of Canada’s missions in Eastern Europe. We wish them the best of proud to celebrate our Regiment’s history and traditions. The occasion luck during their deployment. was also ideal to recognize the hard work of many members of the unit. Members of the unit and the Pipes &Drums participated in the In addition to the annual awards and medal presentations, the CO 41st edition of the Montreal Highland Games. The event was aresound- and RSM presented nine promotions to the rank of Master Corporal ing success with more than 7000 visitors despite the extreme 41C tem- and four to the rank of Sergeant. These new leaders are amore than perature. In one of the main events, the Black Watch participated in welcome addition to the unit leadership and will position us to better the charity tug-o-war competition that raised funds for the Montreal accomplish our missions. Douglas Hospital Mental Health Program that supports research on Post In early spring, the Regiment received an invitation to attend agar- Tr aumatic Stress Disorder. It was aunique opportunity for the unit to den party on the occasion of His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales’ support the Scottish community of Montreal and contribute directly to a 70th Birthday Patronage Celebration. The Regiment’s senior leader- cause that is close to the heart of all members of the unit. ship, patrons, and selected members traveled to London to attend this The last months were busy and full of great opportunities. Fall and unique event in the gardens of Buckingham Palace. All were humbled, the new training cycle is at our door and we are looking forward to and at the same time excited, to be part of such an event. We also had new challenges and uphold the tradition of excellence of the Regiment.

Basic Infantry Course was run by Lt Zack Duma, Course Comd and Sgt Matt Ramsey,Course 2IC.

54 THE RED HACKLE NOVEMBER 2018 Capts Hovig Maghakian and Chris Leone, LCol Bruce Bolton, LCol Charles McCabe, LCol Bruno Plourde, RSM Stephen Campbell, PM Danny Smith, WO James Quesnel and Col Daniel O’Connor all attended the Garden Party at Buckingham Palace.

tiger measured 9feet 10½ inches “over the bumps.” Sir Neil Ritchie was born in Georgetown, British Guiana (today’s Guyana), in 1897. Commissioned as aSecond Lieutenant in The Black Watch in 1914, he retired as afull General in 1951 after adistinguished military career. This spanned both World Wars; he was best known as the commander of the famous British Eighth Army in North Africa and of the XII Corps in North-West Europe during the Second World War. Thereafter, he held various high posts, including that of Governor of Edinburgh Castle. He was agreat friend of Canada’s Black Watch, having first visited Regimental Headquarters in 1937. On retirement, Ritchie moved to Montreal where he continued his close association with the Canadian Regiment, serving on its Advisory Board. He later moved to To ronto where he died on 11 December 1983. Ritchie presented many other items to Canada’s Black Watch, including the Aberfeldy Statuette, awell-executed miniature reproduction of the memorial cairn erected to commemorate the first muster of The Black Watch in 1740. The statuette’s importance to General Ritchie can be seen in the small attached plaque: “Presented to Brevet Lieutenant Colonel Neil Ritchie DSO, MC on his marriage by his brother officers Col Daniel O’Connor,LCol Bruno Plourde, LCol Bruce Bolton, WO James in The Black Watch, past and present, 4December 1937.” Quesnel, Jonathan Birks and soldiers of 3SCOTS at Buckingham Palace.

ARTEFACTS FROM THE BLACK WATCH OF CANADACOLLECTION BENGAL TIGER SKIN,C.1930 By Earl John Chapman

Some authors regarded tiger hunting as amanly diversion, requiring coolness and agood aim. Others have emphasized how tiger hunt- ing was central to the development of that all-important Victorian trait of character. Whatever the reason, tiger hunting was apopular “sport” in the 19th and 20th centuries. The tiger skin and head shown here was presented to Canada’s Black Watch by Sir Neil Methuen Ritchie GBE, KCB, DSO, MC, atrophy he had “bagged” in India in 1931 as aCaptain while serving with the 1st Battalion. Ritchie wrote an account of his “Bhopal sensations” during the shoot which was published in The RedHackle in April 1932. Using adouble-barreled big game rifle, Ritchie only wounded the animal, forcing ashikari (a tracker and hunting guide) to finish him off but not before one Bengal Tiger Skin head –courtesy of The Black Watch of Canada Museum of the beaters had been badly mauled. According to Ritchie, the and Archives, photo by Peter Ferst.

NOVEMBER 2018 THE RED HACKLE 55 Black Watch Battalion The Army Cadet Force

Honorary Colonel: The Reverend Professor to the Regiment by Her Majesty The Queen and the Battalion joined Norman Drummond CBE FRSE the SCOTS DG and their Association in amarch past. Our stand was Commandant: Colonel CGHubbuck visited by Her Majesty during the event where she was briefed on some Deputy Commandant: Lieutenant Colonel SRae of the activities the Cadets participate in. Adjutant: Captain MMcCluskey Officer Commanding Alma Company: 2Lt RSangster COMMISSION BOARD Officer Commanding Burma Company: Major RMorrill The Battalion achieved three new Commissions at the recent Cadet Officer Commanding Korea Company: Major NMurdoch Force Commissioning Board. This was the first year the Board has Officer Commanding Ypres Company: Lieutenant DLambert been run outside Westbury and had invited candidates from throughout Battalion Training Officer: Major KDouglas 51 Brigade to attend. Under Officers Kelly Stark, John Douglas and Regimental Sergeant Major: Regimental Sergeant Major Jacob Black have now been promoted to Second Lieutenant. TCameron Permanent Staff: MILITARYBAND Cadet Executive Officer: Major ACMPotter The Band was again visible at High Profile events throughout the sum- Quartermaster: Captain RGHallum mer. They played at the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Awards Presentation held at Holyrood Palace, Edinburgh in July. The Band also supported The Battalion has recently returned from their first two week Annual the Salute to Perth Parade in August, playing alongside Military Bands Camp in over 20 years. Wathgill Training Camp in Catterick was this from this year’s Edinburgh Military Ta ttoo. year’s venue with excellent Training Programmes being pulled together to provide challenges for all Cadets training in their various Star Levels. MILITARYSKILLS COMPETITION This was our first visit to Wathgill which proved to be an excellent facil- The Battalion are currently running trials to pick aMilitary Skills ity. Our Green Training took place on the Catterick Training Area and Te am to take part in the 51 Brigade Military Skills Competition at the excellent Range complex in Wathgill. We were supported during being held in Barry Burdon. This year we have been fortunate to our Green Training by CSM McConnell and Cpl Kerr from 7SCOTS have support from 3SCOTS during our training weekends. The and Sgt Moir from 51X CTT who all provided excellent training for the Competition involves teams from both the ACFand CCF from Cadets. The Battalion also participated in an exciting AT Package with across Scotland and will test advanced fieldcraft skills, shooting and “Caves and Canyons” who are based in Ingleton, Lancashire. The two undertaking obstacle courses. day programmes provided caving expeditions, abseiling and waterman- ship. Our final parade gave the Battalion the opportunity to say farewell to our Padre, Te rry Wright, who is moving to South London. Te rry was presented with atraditional Quaich at the end of the parade. We wish him well in his new parish. The Cadets were also given some downtime with a trip to Lightwater Valley Theme Park in Ripon. Next year’s Annual Camp will be at Swynerton TC near Stoke-on-Trent. We have already sent down arecce party who have returned with positive feedback. The Battalion also participated in anumber of local community events throughout the summer keeping us in the public eye. From Kelty Gala Day to Crieff Highland Games, Cadets and CFAVsran stands and paraded in their local towns and villages. These events continue to give us positive press through social media, allowing us to continue to recruit both Cadets and Adult Volunteers. THE ROYALSCOTS DRAGOON GUARDS BANNER PARADE The SCOTS DG invited the Battalion to participate in their Banner The Black Watch/3 SCOTS provide valuable support during Parade at Leuchars Station in June. The new Banner was presented the Military Skills Training Weekends.

The Military Band at the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Awards Presentation in Holyrood Palace.

56 THE RED HACKLE NOVEMBER 2018 The Military Band took part in the Salute to Perth Parade.

Cadets and Adult Volunteers from Cupar Detachment meet Her Majesty The Queen.

NOVEMBER 2018 THE RED HACKLE 57 Association News

Royal Patron: HRH The Prince Charles Duke of ANGUS BRANCH Rothesay KG KT CB OM President: Major Peter Burnett President: Brigadier Sir Melville Jameson Vice President: Lieutenant Colonel Matt Sheldrick KCVO,CBE Chairman: Major Ronnie Proctor MBE Lord Lieutenant of Perth and Kinross Vice Chairman: Mr Peter Tindal Vice Presidents: Mrs Georgiana Osborne CVO, Secretary: Mr Steve Reid Lord Lieutenant of Angus Treasurer: Mr Gordon Millar Mr Robert Balfour FRICS, Lord Lieutenant of Fife This has been another busy and enjoyable period for the Branch Mr Bob Duncan Lord Lieutenant of the beginning with the annual Anzac Day Commemoration in Arbroath City of Dundee This was well attended by Branch members. We were also privileged Chairman: Major General JMCowan, CBE DSO to have the Dundee and Fife Branch Standards as well as our own on Vice Chairman and Tr ustee: Lieutenant Colonel RMRiddell parade. The Association Deputy President, Mrs Georgiana Osborne Secretary and Trustee: Major RJWProctor, MBE and Branch Chairman Ronnie Proctor as Lord Lieutenant of Angus Trustee: Major JMKErskine, MBE and Provost of Angus respectively, laid wreaths along with General Sir Trustee: Major JDMonteith, MBE Alistair Irwin, President of The Royal British Legion Scotland, which Trustee: Major AALWatson, LVO made it quite aBlack Watch event. Trustee: Mr GHay, LL.B CA The Regimental Reunion was well supported by Branch members Executive Committee: Lieutenant Colonel MSmith, MBE despite the heavy rain and the cancellation of the march from the North Captain AMcEwen, MBE Inch to Balhousie Castle. The Association Secretary was accused by Lieutenant Colonel JAMenzies some of getting soft in his old age by cancelling the march, however Lieutenant Colonel RIRose, TD most marchers would have taken longer to recover from asoaking and Mr RScott, JP acold than when they were young men and it was felt that discretion Mr GKennedy was the better part of valour! Welfare Committee: Lieutenant Colonel RIRose, TD, Participation in the Dundee Veterans Day Parade was another Chairman enjoyable event. The weather was kind, the speech not too long and Major CGray Deputy Chairman seating was provided for the veterans after the Inspection and March Major RJWProctor, MBE,Secretary Off. Dundee City Council is to be thanked for laying on the event and Mr JDevlin providing the meal afterwards. Captain TGraham Major Colin Gray should be congratulated on carrying out the duties Mr RScott, JP of Parade Commander with great style and he managed to enthuse all Mrs IShivas GRoss the veterans on parade to put aspring in their step, despite their ever Captain AMcEwen, MBE increasing years. Mr WBarr Our Branch Standard Rededication took place in Brechin Major BDickson Cathedral. Lieutenant Colonel Mike Smith, (an away list mem- Mr AStott ber) and his wife Linda made the journey all the way north from

The Angus Branch annual Rededication Service was held at Brechin Cathedral (courtesy DC Thomson).

58 THE RED HACKLE NOVEMBER 2018 Burnham-on-Sea to attend the service along with his mother Chrissie who attended the Cathedral Sunday School in 1930! We really appreciated their attendance. The service was poignant in two ways as it coincided with the death, forty years ago of Private Mark Carnie who was an eighteen year old Black Watch soldier from Brechin, attached to the Queen’s Own Highlanders who lost his life due to an RCIED explosion at Dungannon, County Ty rone in July 1978. We were fortunate to have Mark’s surviving sister Rhonna and her husband George attending both the service and the lunch which followed. The service was also very poignant as it was the final service to be con- ducted by the incumbent minister of Brechin Cathedral, the Reverend Doctor Roderick Graeme who is moving to pastures new. In his sermon he managed to combine the ethos of The Black Watch Association, the loss of Mark Carnie’s life, service to the church and the community and our service to our country as awhole. Brechin Cathedral was amost fit- ting venue for our Standard Rededication and despite talk of it closing in the future we hope that this is not so. The Black Watch Battalion exercised its right as Freemen of Angus to march through the County with “Drums Beating, Colours Flying and Bayonets Fixed” on the 14th of September. This was greatly appreciated and enjoyed by all Branch members and the public at large. The innovative “Patrol and Parade” of the Battalion stirred the hearts of all who watched and ensured that those who continue to wear our famous and cherished RedHackle are kept close to our veterans and public alike. The reception in the Royal British Legion Mr Billy Whytock and Steve Reid at the Black Watch parade in Forfar. Club Rooms was asuccess and Ihope that Forfar Bridies are now a firm favourite on the Jocks’ menu. Billy Whytock was delighted when the Chairman asked if he could organise the veterans line up either side of the Saluting Dias and many of the public who were spectating thought that they were to be “fell in” and march behind the battalion as Billy showed exactly how things should be done in asmart, soldier like manner, with bags of humour! Remembrance Sunday will shortly be upon us and members are encouragedtotakepartintheir local community Remembrance Services, howeveranumber are making their way to London to take part in the Cenotaph parade and no doubt we will hear of their exploits when they return. To mMcCluskey and Anne will attend the annual ceremony at Black Watch Corner in Belgium and lay awreath on behalf of the Association. Currently we are planning our next major function which is the El Alamein Dinner which is to be held aweek later than normal, due to the Chairman being forced to take his wife on holiday for acouple of weeks. We hope to have El Alamein veteran, John Henderson with us for the evening, his health permitting. Plans are in train to deliver our Christmas Comforts to the elderly members of our Branch and widows also the 2019 Burns supper which should take place on the Bard’s birth- day, the 25th of January. RJWProctor “Eyes Right”. The parade was led by Lieutenant Colonel RobHedderwick.

Mrs Georgiana Osborne, Lord Lieutenant of Angus with the Provost of Angus attended and took the salute at the Black Watch march Mrs Georgiana Osborne and Major Ronnie Proctor taking the salute through Forfar on 14 September. at the Forfar parade.

NOVEMBER 2018 THE RED HACKLE 59 DUNDEE BRANCH On Saturday 28 April 2018 Branch members and guests gathered in the President: Major (Retd) Colin Gray Apex Hotel Haymarket for the annual Al Basrah Dinner. The company Chairman: Willie Barr of Major Colin Gray and members of the Dundee Branch was very Secretary: Colin Adam much appreciated. Throughout the evening Pipe Major Alistair Duthie Treasurer: LenMitchell entertained us with his usual high standard of piping. Asmall group attended amemorial service at the Scottish American The 23rd of March saw afew Branch members attend the ever popular WarMemorial in Princes Street Gardens on 29 May 2018. The memo- Fife Branch, Rhine Crossing Dinner at the Victoria Hotel, Kirkcaldy. rial was erected in 1927 and funded by Americans of Scottish descent to Ahuge vote of thanks to Bob Scott, George Wood, and all members of honour Scots who had served in the Great War. the Fife Branch who contributed in ensuring we all had another great The Edinburgh Armed Forces Day Parade took place on Saturday night. The organisation, the menu, the hospitality, the banter and the 30 June 2018. Regulars, Reserves and veterans mustered in Charlotte piping were all highest standard. Square and marched along George Street towards St Andrews Square On Saturday 28th April, Jock Menzies and the Edinburgh, Lothian Gardens. The parade was addressed by the Lord Provost of the City and Borders Branch welcomed us to their annual Al Basrah Dinner in of Edinburgh (Right Honourable Frank Ross). On completion of the Scots Guard Club and the Apex Hotel. Yetanother great night of the parade, family and friends joined the marching contingent for a fantastic food, banter and entertainment. reception and some entertainment. There was an excellent turnout of The Regimental Reunion on 16 June was another event greatly sup- “Red Hackles” which also included the main dignitaries for the event: ported by the Dundee Branch with many making it afull weekend of Lieutenant General Sir Alistair Irwin, Major General Mike Riddell- meeting up with “A uld Pals” and enjoying adram. Webster and Brigadier Robin Lindsay. On Saturday 23rd June, Dundee held its Veterans and Youth The Scottish Korean WarMemorial in Bathgate was opened on Organisation Day with anumber of Branch members joining veterans 27 June 2000 to mark the 50th anniversary of the start of the Korean from other Service Associations marching down Reform Street and War. Arecent project to refurbish the Black Watch memorial bench taking part in the Parade on the City Square. Lieutenant General Sir at this site has now been completed. The hard work, craftmanship and Alistair Irwin and the City of Dundee Lord Provost, Ian Borthwick took dedication shown by Mr Colin Ballantyne and the support provided by the salute and inspected the veterans and cadets. Captain Bob Henry is very much appreciated. The inscription on the On 18 August we hosted the Inter-Branch Games Day in the Black bench reads: In memory of all ranks of The Black Watch who served in Watch Club. Organised by John Smith and RayLawson, this popular Korea 1950 to 1953. event raised over £2,000 for the Prostate Cancer Charity which was Branch meetings take place in the Scots Guards Club, Haymarket dedicated to the memory of agreat Black Watch man of the Angus and we meet regularly in March, June, September and December. Branch, John Campbell who recently lost his life to this horrible disease. Members also gather for specific events such as Remembrance and John’s daughter Linda and granddaughter Rebecca were in attendance Memorial services. Anyone wishing to join the Branch is more than wel- at the Games Day and on behalf of Prostate Cancer received acheque come to do so and in the first instance should contact one of the com- from our Vice Chairman, John Smith. mittee members or make contact through one of the members of the The Angus Branch Standard Re-Dedication Service and Branch. Serving or retired members of The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, Commemorative Service for Private Mark Carnie were held in the The Royal Regiment of Scotland are reminded that they are welcome Brechin Cathedral on Sunday 2nd September and was supported by to join. The most recent new members are: Lieutenant Colonel Mark Branch members Willie Barr, Jimmy Herd and Colin Gray. After the Ewing, Larry Jenkins, Jimmy Grover, Robert Lindsay, Dave Lewis and service we were treated to afantastic lunch in the Royal British Legion. Drew McKay. On the 8th September, we supported and attended the Sub-Mariners JAMenzies Commemorative Service at City Quay, Dundee. On 23rd September, Branch members attended the 103rd Battle of Loos Anniversary Service in the Congregational Church, Constitution Road, Dundee which was also supported by the City of Dundee Depute Lord Provost, Bill Campbell as well as Major Ronnie Proctor and his lovely wife Sonia. Thanks to Ronnie for the appearance especially after having such agreat night, the previous night at his Angus Provost’s Charity Ball held in Glamis Castle which was attended by Roland and Maureen Rose, Willie and Christine Barr, John and Janine Smith, Kenny Grant and Colin and Maureen Gray. Colin Gray

John JSmith handing over acheque for Prostate Cancer to Linda Campbell and Rebecca.

EDINBURGH, LOTHIANS’ AND BORDERS’ BRANCH President: Lieutenant Colonel Julian McElhinney Chairman: Lieutenant Colonel Jock Menzies Secretary: Major Alex Stewart BEM Treasurer: Captain Ramsay Macdonald Atholl Highlanders TomMacDonald and Pipe Major Alistair Duthie at the Al Events Coordinator: Mr Rory McIntyre Basrah Dinner.

60 THE RED HACKLE NOVEMBER 2018 FIFE BRANCH This has been amixed reporting period for the Branch; on the one hand we had the joy of our Reunion, the Fife Armed Forces Day in Cupar and the Ladies Alma Lunch. On the other hand we have said goodbye to some good friends. Our long time President, Lieutenant Colonel Philip Halford-MacLeod died. Colonel Philip, as he liked to be known, was held in high esteem and on the day of the Fife Armed Forces Flag raising in Cupar we visited him in Glenrothes. We arrived in Blue Bonnets, medals and Standard to the fore, the only thing lacking was a fanfare and piper! The nurses and staff joined in with the event as most had never seen anything like it before and soon cameras were clicking. Larry Jenkins, Major Alex Stewart and Brian Alexander were all at the dinner. Iknow the Colonel was happy to see us but not wishing to tire him out, we gave our salute and retired. Iprinted aphoto of the day, framed it and placed it on his bedside table where he had aconstant reminder of our visit. Iwill miss the Colonel greatly as we had become good friends over the years but Iamnow in contact with Alasdair, his oldest son and hope to continue our friendship through him. We ended the period with our Ladies Alma Lunch and had 49 sitting down to lunch. The ladies, as is now the custom, each received aBlack Watch woollen scarf to mark the occasion. It has, as Her Majesty would say, been aperiod of ANNUS HORRIBILIS. Ican only hope for ahappier period when Ireport on events in the May edition. Lastly can Ithank all the Branch members for their continued support. RMScott

Ladies who attended the Alma Lunch in Fife.

HIGHLAND BRANCH President: Captain KStacey Chairman: WO2 ENichol Secretary: Mr Gordon Kennedy

Since the last edition of the RedHackle magazine the Highland Branch Ian Beveridge and Jock Hingston at the Edinburgh Armed Forces Day. of the Black Watch Association have continued to foster comradeship and to further the aims of The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) Association but more importantly, to provide support to all those who have served, their spouses or dependants if they find themselves in adverse circumstances. We held our AGMinthe Community Centre in Wimberley Wayon the 11th of May. The Committee had asmall change over with Mr Joe Barbour being replaced by WO2 Eddie Nichol as Chairman, and Alec Beattie taking over as assistant Chairman. Captain Kevin Stacey contin- ued in post as President as did Gordon Kennedy as Secretary. On behalf of the Association members Iwould like to thank Joe for his hard work during his tenure as Chairman. We attended the AGMinPerth and tried to attend as many other Branch outings as possible and we even managed to pull off an away win in agames night at the Dundee Branch. The second away win in succession. We aim to host the Dundee Branch to Inverness for the return fixture in the very near future and give them achance to restore their honour. If anyone wishes to join the Highland Branch you can attend the monthly meetings in the Community Centre in Wimberley Wayonthe second Friday of each month at 1830hrs. It is an informal get together and achance to socialise with each other and continue the camaraderie and to catch up with or make new friends. The refurbished seat at the Korean WarMemorial in Bathgate. WO2 ENichol

NOVEMBER 2018 THE RED HACKLE 61 LONDON BRANCH The Great Pilgrimage 90 and One Hundred Days Ceremony Ypres President: Major General AL Watson CB Adecade after the end of the First World War, eleven thousand vet- Chairman: Major AALWatson LVO erans and war widows made agreat pilgrimage to the battlefields of the Vice Chairman: Lieutenant Colonel TA Coles MBE Somme and Ypres before marching to the Menin Gate in Ypres, on 8th Secretary: Lieutenant Colonel MSmith MBE August 1928, for aremembrance service. The last 100 days of the Great Warwere critical because the German This year there have been changes within the Committee. The Honorary Spring offensive of 1918 had made considerable inroads; they had Treasurer, Charles Ta ylor, has handed over to David Kemmis-Betty. deployed their storm troopers to great effect who proved that trench Tw ofurther members have joined the Committee: Rupert Forrest, who warfare could be breached by specialist infantry and they were desper- will assist in overseeing the accounts, and Richard Cole-Mackintosh. ate to bring about asettlement before the USAcommitted its consider- Thanks must go to Charlie Ta ylor for his efforts over anumber of years able ground forces to the battlefield. But they failed. This was mainly in managing the accounts. We are very grateful. due to the fact they ran out of resources, manpower and materiel. The We are keen to have more other rank members join us on the ensuing Allied counter stroke broke the dead lock and started the Committee. We would welcome any volunteers, with aview to making beginning of the end of the Great War. further appointments at the AGMinApril 2019. Exactly 90 years later, on 8August 2018, more than two thousand We did not hold aSummer Lunch this year. We have felt the loss Royal British Legion members carried their standards and wreaths of Joe Hubble, who was the organiser of this event over many years. along the same route to the Menin Gate, to commemorate the begin- We will get back on track in 2019, all being well. ning of the last hundred days of the war, thereby representing an entire It is always encouraging to herald the start of the Spring and Summer generation that served defending their country. months which kick start the prestigious activities that focus on the capital. Our AGM, held in the London Scottish Army Reserve Centre, Horseferry Road on 4April was asuccessful gathering. As aprecursor to the AGM, the Executive Committee met to discuss the issues and agenda items. At the end of the meeting we enjoyed agood buffet lunch and are grateful to one of our loyal and generous members who paid for the drinks –apromise he made to the late Joe Hubble. Thank you Dan. This year we had no takers to attend the Not Forgotten Association Garden Party and unfortunately our nominated Member for Founder’s Day at the Royal Hospital Chelsea had to call off. However, the Branch was rep- resented at our Royal Patron’s Garden Party on 22 May and the RedHackle was seen at Bill Speakman’s funeral. The Regimental Association was repre- sented by the London Branch at the Royal British Legion’s Hundred Days Offensive centenary commemorative event at Ypres in Belgium on 8August.

The Royal Patron’s Garden Party at Buckingham Palace Wreaths laid at the Menin Gate during the Great Pilgrimage 90 and One As one of His Royal Highness, The Prince Charles’ charities, The Black Hundred Days Ceremony,Ypres. Watch Association was invited to our Royal Patron’s Garden party on 22 May. This event was attended by the Association Chairman, Major General James Cowan, Colonel Ian Critchley, Lieutenant Colonel Jim Keating, Pipe Major Chic Mackie and Korean veteran John Bowles. Also present were soldiers of The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion the Royal Regiment of Scotland from Inverness and members of the Canadian Black Watch. Lieutenant Colonel TimColes represented the Highland and Lowland Brigades’ Club.

William Speakman Victoria Cross (VC) 21 September 1927 –20June 2018 On 19 July 2018 Bill Speakman was laid to rest following awell attended (especially by the King’s Own Scottish Borderers (KOSB) and digni- fied funeral service in the stunning Wren Chapel at the Royal Hospital Chelsea. It had been organised by the Victoria Cross and George Cross Association in conjunction with the Royal Hospital. Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales, President of the VC and GC Association, and the Duchess of Cornwall were represented by Major Lieutenant Colonel Mike Smith meets an old Black Watch friend, General To yne Sewell DL, aformer Commanding Officer of 1KOSB. TadAdamson who was also on parade. Royal representation was present because Speakman was the first VC presented by our current Sovereign. Tr ibutes from Speakman’s family and the Captain of Invalids were warm and reflected his strong family ties and commitment as well as his great character as asoldier and veteran. The Order of Service included the citation for the award of the VC and it is noted that on 5November 1951, when Speakman carried out his supreme acts of gallantry in Korea, he was aBlack Watch soldier attached to the King’s Own Scottish Borderers. The London Branch was represented by John Bowles (one of our few remaining Korean veterans) and the Vice Chairman.

Lieutenant Colonel Mike Smith reads some of the messages The late Bill Speakman on parade at the Cenotaph. on the wreaths below the Menin Gate.

62 THE RED HACKLE NOVEMBER 2018 The Carnoustie RBL bikers were in Ypres for the parade and met Mike and Linda Smith and Ilene Palgrave.

Looking Forward Owing to the reorganisation of the secretariat, the booking of asuitable The organisation of the special Remembrance weekend this year, venue for our annual dinner became acasualty and we will be unable to to mark the end of the First World War, with an expanded dinner host an event this year. The outgoing officer had other things on his mind on 10 November at the Victory Services Club, more marchers at the and neglected to warn the new incumbent of the urgency of the matter. Cenotaph on 11 November followed by alunch in the Tu rf Club has In November, on St Andrew’s Day, aMemorial Bench, situated in fallen on Mike Smith, Ian Howarth and Paddy Nicoll in particular to Eldon Square, Newcastle, will be dedicated to those members of The organise. Their support and generosity is greatly appreciated. Black Watch and the Tyneside Scottish, who lost their lives in wars Mike Smith since 1914. The liaison with the civil authorities is being undertaken by 204 (Tyneside Scottish) Battery RA (V). It is hoped that we will NEWCASTLE BRANCH have support from members of other Associations within the area. The Chairman: Mr Nick Tu rnbull Ty neside Irish Centre will provide hospitality at the end of the official Secretary/Treasurer: Mr Malcolm Dunn/Mr Peter Dodds parade, for which we are most grateful. Malcolm Dunn In the last set of notes, Itold you of the change in Secretary which had taken place in the Branch. The resignation of the previous office holder PERTH BRANCH had been occasioned by the ill health of his wife, Elsie. Elsie succumbed President: Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Roddy Riddell to her illness and at her funeral, Guards of Honour were provided by Chairman: Captain Alan McEwen MBE both the Black Watch and The Ty neside Scottish Associations. The fam- Secretary: Ally Alcorn ily were most grateful. Treasurer: Frances Sandilands In April, the Secretary and Treasurer attended the AGMofthe Accounts Auditor: Major (Retired) Colin Wilson Association and the Secretary was welcomed by all those to whom he was introduced. He had been alittle apprehensive but soon fell into The Perth Branch is very pleased to report that it remains active and the company of Colin Adam from Dundee who made him feel at home continues to foster comradeship and our members have enjoyed each instantly. This was agood introduction to the easy relationships which other’s company at anumber of remembrance, sporting and social exist in the regimental family. events throughout this period. Agoodly party left Newcastle for the north in June, to take part in Jim Baird died on Monday 23rd July 2018 at Perth Royal Infirmary the annual Reunion. After abreakfast break in Berwick, it was over the following ashort and bravely fought illness. His funeral was extremely Border and on to Perth. Those fit enough to parade, made their way to well attended. Jim was afriend to many and was astalwart of the the assembly point only to make their way back to Balhousie, consid- Branch. He was well respected and was indeed hugely instrumental in erably wetter than when they set out. The minor discomfort was soon its very existence following his retirement from the Regular Army. Jim overcome by balancing the liquid exterior with an equally well soaked will be sadly missed. interior. Arrangements for the reunification of the party in the evening Several Branch members along with their partners attended aday came to grief, due to misunderstandings which no doubt originated in out to Aberfeldy on Sunday 30th June 2018 to visit The Black Watch the beer tent. The journey home next day was punctuated by the usual Memorial. They enjoyed agood lunch in the Black Watch Inn afterwards. attempts to become insolvent in Edinburgh and to drink the bars in the Our Branch members were delighted to welcome back The Black Borders dry. The first objective was almost achieved, making the second Watch Battalion to their spiritual home here in Perth on Sunday 16th objective aforlorn hope. September 2018. They paraded, Colours Flying and Bayonets Fixed, The local celebration of Minden Day was enjoyed by those members through the streets of the Fair City following their recent and hugely who obtained the revised arrangements whilst those who did not benefit successful deployment to Iraq. It gave us all arare chance to see some from the information, missed out. The failure in communications arose of the uniforms, weapons, equipment and vehicles currently in use with in the organising association who will not be named. the Battalion, in addition to providing aunique opportunity to chat with Some of our members took atrip to France in September, with the many serving officers and soldiers during areception held in the Perth Fusiliers Association. At the time of writing, no report has been received Concert Hall after the parade. as to their safe return, news of which will have to wait for the May edition. Alan McEwen

NOVEMBER 2018 THE RED HACKLE 63 AFoxhound vehicle was part of the parade as well as soldiers wearing and The Commanding Officer,thanks Councillor Dennis Melloy,Provost of Perth carrying up to date infantry equipment and weapons. for allowing the Battalion to parade in Perth.

Members of the Perth Branch including Colonel Ian Critchley were on parade, flanking the saluting dias.

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